Comet 104P/Kowal
Comet 104P/Kowal is in the constellation of Ophiuchus, at a distance of
Finder Charts
The sky charts below show, at different resolutions, the position of comet 104P/Kowal in the sky. Click on each chart to access the interactive star map tool.
The following map uses photographic imagery from the Digitized Sky Survey (DSS) to realistically visualize the precise position of comet 104P/Kowal against the stars in the background. The horizontal size of the map measures 60 arcminutes. Click on the image to access a more detailed full-screen view.
Equatorial 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
The following table lists today's rise, transit and set times of comet 104P/Kowal from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
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 104P/Kowal from Earth is currently
The following graph shows the distance of comet 104P/Kowal from Earth as a function of time. In the chart the distance is measured in Astronomical Units and the data is sampled with an interval of 1 day.
Note: The values in this chart may not be entirely accurate around the time of closest approach for objects passing very close to Earth at high speed (e.g., Near-Earth Objects).
The value of the distance of 104P/Kowal from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the live position tracker.
Closest Approach to Earth
In the period between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2099, the closest approach of comet 104P/Kowal to Earth will happen on Tuesday 11 January 2050 at a distance of 0.102871 Astronomical Units, or 15,389,324 kilometers:
Note: the values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.
Light Curve
The following chart shows the light curve of comet 104P/Kowal, i.e., its apparent magnitude as a function of time. The curve is calculated using the latest ephemerides provided by JPL Horizons. The magnitude data is sampled with the interval of 2 days. Because of this sampling, inaccuracies may occur for objects that have large variations of brightness over a few days. For comets, large discrepancies can arise between the calculated brightness and the observations due to their highly dynamic, and not always precisely predictable, behavior.
Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of comet 104P/Kowal at epoch September, 28 2021 00:00 UTC (JD: 2459486.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.66545272 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 5.70109005° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 1.07309842 AU 160,533,238 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
5.34212883 AU 799,171,100 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
3.20761362 AU 479,852,169 km |
| Orbital period | period |
5.7449 years 2,098.3189 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | January 11, 2022 2,459,591.1175 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | October 10, 2027 2,461,689.4364 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 227.24588764598° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 207.21352564177° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 342.05120779257° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.17156591°/day |
Orbit Visualization
The following chart is a 3D animated visualization of the orbit of comet 104P/Kowal relative to the other major objects in the Solar System. You can access more advanced features using our 3D Solar System Viewer.
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of comet 104P/Kowal 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 17 2025 | 17h 33m 50s | -17° 22’ 41” | 26.84 | Ophiuchus |
| Jun 18 2025 | 17h 33m 07s | -17° 22’ 04” | 26.84 | Ophiuchus |
| Jun 19 2025 | 17h 32m 25s | -17° 21’ 27” | 26.84 | Ophiuchus |
| Jun 20 2025 | 17h 31m 42s | -17° 20’ 50” | 26.84 | Ophiuchus |
| Jun 21 2025 | 17h 30m 59s | -17° 20’ 16” | 26.84 | Ophiuchus |
| Jun 22 2025 | 17h 30m 16s | -17° 19’ 41” | 26.84 | Ophiuchus |
| Jun 23 2025 | 17h 29m 34s | -17° 19’ 08” | 26.84 | Ophiuchus |
| Jun 24 2025 | 17h 28m 52s | -17° 18’ 35” | 26.83 | Ophiuchus |
| Jun 25 2025 | 17h 28m 10s | -17° 18’ 04” | 26.83 | Ophiuchus |
| Jun 26 2025 | 17h 27m 28s | -17° 17’ 34” | 26.83 | Ophiuchus |
| Jun 27 2025 | 17h 26m 46s | -17° 17’ 05” | 26.83 | Ophiuchus |
| Jun 28 2025 | 17h 26m 05s | -17° 16’ 37” | 26.83 | Ophiuchus |
| Jun 29 2025 | 17h 25m 24s | -17° 16’ 10” | 26.83 | Ophiuchus |
| Jun 30 2025 | 17h 24m 43s | -17° 15’ 45” | 26.83 | Ophiuchus |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 104P/Kowal: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is comet 104P/Kowal?: Key information on where to find comet 104P/Kowal in the sky.
- Distance of comet 104P/Kowal from Earth: Find out how far comet 104P/Kowal is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is comet 104P/Kowal?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Rise and set times of comet 104P/Kowal from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: Planetarium-style interactive visualization of comet 104P/Kowal's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: High precision real time tracker of comet 104P/Kowal's position using deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days comet 104P/Kowal's computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: Information about comet 104P/Kowal orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization: 3D interactive visualization showing the orbit of comet 104P/Kowal with respect to the major Solar System objects.