Comet 53P/Van Biesbroeck
Comet 53P/Van Biesbroeck is in the constellation of
Cancer,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
View interactive star map
High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 53P/Van Biesbroeck is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 53P/Van Biesbroeck?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 53P/Van Biesbroeck in the sky and additional links to sky charts.
Celestial Coordinates
Apparent
J2000
Additional Information
The observed values of Magnitude, Coma Diameter and Tail Length are derived from the most recent observation recorded at the Comet Observers Database. The value of Predicted Magnitude comes from the JPL Horizons ephemerides service and, in the case of comets, might be inaccurate given the highly dynamic and unpredictable behavior of these objects. When available, please refer to the Observed Magnitude value and consider the Predicted Magnitude as a directional indication. We acknowledge with thanks the comet observations from the COBS Comet Observation Database contributed by observers worldwide and used in this table to report recent comet observations.
Rise and Set Times
Today's rise, transit and set times of Comet 53P/Van Biesbroeck from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 53P/Van Biesbroeck is above the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Right now it is placed in the West-South-West direction at an altitude of 41.65° above the horizon.
- Given its current magnitude, 53P/Van Biesbroeck is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
If you need to access this information frequently for your observations, you can create a simple customized Quick Access page, so that you can easily bookmark it in your browser favorites or add a shortcut to your mobile phones' home screen.
Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 53P/Van Biesbroeck from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 53P/Van Biesbroeck from Earth as a function of time. In the chart the distance data is measured in Astronomical Units and sampled with an interval of 1 day.
The value of the reported distance might be somewhat inaccurate around the times of closest approach for objects passing extremely close to Earth. The value of the distance of 53P/Van Biesbroeck from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the Live Position and Data Tracker.
Closest Approach
Between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2099, the closest approach of Comet 53P/Van Biesbroeck to Earth happens on Tue Jul 31 2091 at a distance of 0.904126 Astronomical Units, or 135,255,334 kilometers:
NOTE: values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.
Light Curve
The following chart is the predicted light curve (visual magnitude as a function of time) of Comet 53P/Van Biesbroeck, according to the most recent ephemerides data. Magnitude data is sampled with a 2 days interval and there might be inaccuracies for objects changing brightness very rapidly during the course of a few days. For comets there could be large discrepancies between the observed and predicted brightness because of their highly dynamic behaviour.
Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of Comet 53P/Van Biesbroeck at epoch 16 August 2011 00:00 UTC (JD: 2455790.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.55105953 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 6.61118154° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 2.42633019 AU 362,973,831 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
8.38280984 AU 1,254,050,505 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
5.40457001 AU 808,512,168 km |
| Orbital period | period |
12.5646 years 4,589.2334 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2016-Apr-30 19:32:35 2,457,509.3143 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2028-Nov-23 01:08 2,462,098.5477 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 134.26401284642° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 148.89819728366° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 225.16851702969° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.07844447°/day |
Orbit Visualization
View Comet 53P/Van Biesbroeck in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 53P/Van Biesbroeck computed for the past and next 7 days, with a 24 hours interval. Apparent celestial coordinates are provided.
| Date | Right AscensionR.A. | DeclinationDec. | MagnitudeMag | Constellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Apr 05 | 08h 25m 25s | +17° 06’ 26” | 22.67 | Cancer |
| 2025 Apr 06 | 08h 25m 22s | +17° 07’ 07” | 22.67 | Cancer |
| 2025 Apr 07 | 08h 25m 20s | +17° 07’ 46” | 22.67 | Cancer |
| 2025 Apr 08 | 08h 25m 19s | +17° 08’ 23” | 22.68 | Cancer |
| 2025 Apr 09 | 08h 25m 18s | +17° 08’ 59” | 22.68 | Cancer |
| 2025 Apr 10 | 08h 25m 18s | +17° 09’ 32” | 22.68 | Cancer |
| 2025 Apr 11 | 08h 25m 18s | +17° 10’ 03” | 22.68 | Cancer |
| 2025 Apr 12 | 08h 25m 19s | +17° 10’ 32” | 22.69 | Cancer |
| 2025 Apr 13 | 08h 25m 20s | +17° 10’ 59” | 22.69 | Cancer |
| 2025 Apr 14 | 08h 25m 22s | +17° 11’ 24” | 22.69 | Cancer |
| 2025 Apr 15 | 08h 25m 25s | +17° 11’ 48” | 22.70 | Cancer |
| 2025 Apr 16 | 08h 25m 28s | +17° 12’ 09” | 22.70 | Cancer |
| 2025 Apr 17 | 08h 25m 31s | +17° 12’ 28” | 22.70 | Cancer |
| 2025 Apr 18 | 08h 25m 36s | +17° 12’ 44” | 22.71 | Cancer |
Additional Resources
- Position and finder charts (see also Where is Comet 53P/Van Biesbroeck?)
- Distance from Earth (see also How far is Comet 53P/Van Biesbroeck from Earth?)
- When does Comet 53P/Van Biesbroeck rise and set?
- Brightness (see also How bright is Comet 53P/Van Biesbroeck?)
- Orbital elements. Detailed information about Comet 53P/Van Biesbroeck orbital parameters.
- Interactive orbit visualization. 3d visualization showing the orbit of Comet 53P/Van Biesbroeck with respect to the major Solar System objects.
- 15 days ephemerides. Table showing celestial coordinates and magnitude of Comet 53P/Van Biesbroeck for the past and next 7 days.
- Interactive sky chart. An online planetarium application that shows where to locate Comet 53P/Van Biesbroeck in the sky from your location.
- Live position tracker. A high precision sky chart that uses real deep sky imagery to help locate Comet 53P/Van Biesbroeck with your telescope or on your astrophotographies.