Comet C/2024 C4 (ATLAS)
Comet C/2024 C4 (ATLAS) is in the constellation of
Draco,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
View interactive star map
High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet C/2024 C4 (ATLAS) is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet C/2024 C4 (ATLAS)?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet C/2024 C4 (ATLAS) 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 C/2024 C4 (ATLAS) from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- C/2024 C4 (ATLAS) is above the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Right now it is placed in the North-North-East direction at an altitude of 24.78° above the horizon.
- Given its current magnitude, C/2024 C4 (ATLAS) 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 C/2024 C4 (ATLAS) from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet C/2024 C4 (ATLAS) 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 C/2024 C4 (ATLAS) 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 C/2024 C4 (ATLAS) to Earth happens on Fri Apr 12 2024 at a distance of 0.941512 Astronomical Units, or 140,848,192 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 C/2024 C4 (ATLAS), 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 C/2024 C4 (ATLAS) at epoch 15 February 2024 00:00 UTC (JD: 2460356.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.96979736 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 79.18307755° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 1.46630867 AU 219,356,656 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
95.63173096 AU 14,306,303,352 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
48.54901982 AU 7,262,830,004 km |
| Orbital period | period |
338.2820 years 123,557.5039 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2024-Jan-29 18:39:33 2,460,339.2775 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2362-May-15 06:45 2,583,896.7813 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 321.19101380123° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 220.5921236474° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 0.050179961852602° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.00291362°/day |
Orbit Visualization
View Comet C/2024 C4 (ATLAS) in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet C/2024 C4 (ATLAS) 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 | 18h 57m 07s | +52° 31’ 59” | 24.82 | Draco |
| 2025 Apr 06 | 18h 57m 18s | +52° 44’ 56” | 24.83 | Draco |
| 2025 Apr 07 | 18h 57m 29s | +52° 57’ 51” | 24.84 | Draco |
| 2025 Apr 08 | 18h 57m 38s | +53° 10’ 44” | 24.85 | Draco |
| 2025 Apr 09 | 18h 57m 46s | +53° 23’ 34” | 24.86 | Draco |
| 2025 Apr 10 | 18h 57m 53s | +53° 36’ 20” | 24.87 | Draco |
| 2025 Apr 11 | 18h 57m 59s | +53° 49’ 03” | 24.88 | Draco |
| 2025 Apr 12 | 18h 58m 03s | +54° 01’ 43” | 24.89 | Draco |
| 2025 Apr 13 | 18h 58m 06s | +54° 14’ 19” | 24.90 | Draco |
| 2025 Apr 14 | 18h 58m 08s | +54° 26’ 51” | 24.91 | Draco |
| 2025 Apr 15 | 18h 58m 08s | +54° 39’ 18” | 24.92 | Draco |
| 2025 Apr 16 | 18h 58m 08s | +54° 51’ 42” | 24.93 | Draco |
| 2025 Apr 17 | 18h 58m 06s | +55° 04’ 02” | 24.94 | Draco |
| 2025 Apr 18 | 18h 58m 02s | +55° 16’ 17” | 24.95 | Draco |
Additional Resources
- Position and finder charts (see also Where is Comet C/2024 C4 (ATLAS)?)
- Distance from Earth (see also How far is Comet C/2024 C4 (ATLAS) from Earth?)
- When does Comet C/2024 C4 (ATLAS) rise and set?
- Brightness (see also How bright is Comet C/2024 C4 (ATLAS)?)
- Orbital elements. Detailed information about Comet C/2024 C4 (ATLAS) orbital parameters.
- Interactive orbit visualization. 3d visualization showing the orbit of Comet C/2024 C4 (ATLAS) with respect to the major Solar System objects.
- 15 days ephemerides. Table showing celestial coordinates and magnitude of Comet C/2024 C4 (ATLAS) for the past and next 7 days.
- Interactive sky chart. An online planetarium application that shows where to locate Comet C/2024 C4 (ATLAS) in the sky from your location.
- Live position tracker. A high precision sky chart that uses real deep sky imagery to help locate Comet C/2024 C4 (ATLAS) with your telescope or on your astrophotographies.