Comet 72P/Denning-Fujikawa
Comet 72P/Denning-Fujikawa is in the constellation of
Leo,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
View interactive star map
High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 72P/Denning-Fujikawa is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 72P/Denning-Fujikawa?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 72P/Denning-Fujikawa 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 72P/Denning-Fujikawa from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 72P/Denning-Fujikawa is above the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Right now it is placed in the South direction at an altitude of 50.91° above the horizon.
- Given its current magnitude, 72P/Denning-Fujikawa 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 72P/Denning-Fujikawa from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 72P/Denning-Fujikawa 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 72P/Denning-Fujikawa 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 72P/Denning-Fujikawa to Earth happens on Fri Aug 22 2059 at a distance of 0.170790 Astronomical Units, or 25,549,815 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 72P/Denning-Fujikawa, 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 72P/Denning-Fujikawa at epoch 20 September 2015 00:00 UTC (JD: 2457286.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.82045974 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 9.23291453° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 0.78052891 AU 116,765,464 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
7.91422175 AU 1,183,950,725 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
4.34737533 AU 650,358,094 km |
| Orbital period | period |
9.0646 years 3,310.8472 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2014-Jul-12 06:43:54 2,456,850.7805 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2023-Aug-05 03:03 2,460,161.6277 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 338.47296453447° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 35.435634609379° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 47.377306623804° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.10873350°/day |
Orbit Visualization
View Comet 72P/Denning-Fujikawa in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 72P/Denning-Fujikawa 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 | 11h 23m 34s | +12° 09’ 26” | 35.47 | Leo |
| 2025 Apr 06 | 11h 23m 03s | +12° 11’ 30” | 35.48 | Leo |
| 2025 Apr 07 | 11h 22m 32s | +12° 13’ 29” | 35.49 | Leo |
| 2025 Apr 08 | 11h 22m 01s | +12° 15’ 22” | 35.51 | Leo |
| 2025 Apr 09 | 11h 21m 31s | +12° 17’ 12” | 35.52 | Leo |
| 2025 Apr 10 | 11h 21m 03s | +12° 18’ 56” | 35.53 | Leo |
| 2025 Apr 11 | 11h 20m 34s | +12° 20’ 36” | 35.54 | Leo |
| 2025 Apr 12 | 11h 20m 06s | +12° 22’ 12” | 35.56 | Leo |
| 2025 Apr 13 | 11h 19m 38s | +12° 23’ 43” | 35.57 | Leo |
| 2025 Apr 14 | 11h 19m 11s | +12° 25’ 09” | 35.58 | Leo |
| 2025 Apr 15 | 11h 18m 44s | +12° 26’ 30” | 35.59 | Leo |
| 2025 Apr 16 | 11h 18m 18s | +12° 27’ 46” | 35.61 | Leo |
| 2025 Apr 17 | 11h 17m 52s | +12° 28’ 59” | 35.62 | Leo |
| 2025 Apr 18 | 11h 17m 28s | +12° 30’ 06” | 35.63 | Leo |
Additional Resources
- Position and finder charts (see also Where is Comet 72P/Denning-Fujikawa?)
- Distance from Earth (see also How far is Comet 72P/Denning-Fujikawa from Earth?)
- When does Comet 72P/Denning-Fujikawa rise and set?
- Brightness (see also How bright is Comet 72P/Denning-Fujikawa?)
- Orbital elements. Detailed information about Comet 72P/Denning-Fujikawa orbital parameters.
- Interactive orbit visualization. 3d visualization showing the orbit of Comet 72P/Denning-Fujikawa with respect to the major Solar System objects.
- 15 days ephemerides. Table showing celestial coordinates and magnitude of Comet 72P/Denning-Fujikawa for the past and next 7 days.
- Interactive sky chart. An online planetarium application that shows where to locate Comet 72P/Denning-Fujikawa in the sky from your location.
- Live position tracker. A high precision sky chart that uses real deep sky imagery to help locate Comet 72P/Denning-Fujikawa with your telescope or on your astrophotographies.