Welcome to COBS!
Comet Observation database (COBS) saw first light in 2010 and is maintained by Crni Vrh Observatory. It is a free and unique service for comet observers worldwide which allows submission, display and analysis of comet data in a single location.
Amateur astronomers can make valuable contributions to comet science by observing comets and submitting their observations to COBS as professional astronomers typically do not have telescope time required to acquire regular observations. We therefore encourage comet observers worldwide to submit their observations and contribute to the COBS database.
Registered observers may submit observations using a web based form which stores the observations in an SQL database and stores them in ICQ format. Observations may be queried and plotted in the website or exported for further processing, analysis and publication. The database currently contains more than 282700 comet observations of more than 1610 different comets and represents the largest available database of comet observations.
The data stored in COBS is freely available to everyone who honors our data usage policy. Please cite COBS as the reference if you use it for comet studies.
Latest image
Image of comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS), obtained on 2024 Oct. 14 (17h25UT) at University of Ljubljana Astronomical Observatory with 200 mm, f/3.2 lens and Canon 6D. Image is stack of 30 1-second exposures taken from fixed tripod at ISO 1600. Copyright © 2024 by H. Mikuz.
Comets visible today at Crni Vrh Observatory
| Comet | Mag | T | Source | Best time | Const | Obs | Chart | Comet PK | Comet MPC | Type | MPC name |
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Location: Crni Vrh Observatory
Latitude: 45.94583; longitude: 14.07111; elevation: 726.0
Limiting mag: 15; Min altitude: 0; Min solar elong: 0; Min moon elong: 0
All times are in UTCComet finding charts provided by Dominic Ford: https://in-the-sky.org/
Lightcurve of comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS)
Recent observations
| Type | Comet | Obs date | Meth | Mag | T | App | P | Dia | DC | Tail | Tail unit | PA | User | Pk |
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Latest news
NASA's Webb Reveals Unusual Jets of Volatile Gas from Icy Centaur 29P
Scientists revealed unexpected outgassing from this object galloping across the outer solar system.
Similar to the Ancient Greek mythological creature of the same name, centaurs in astronomy are in an in-between dynamical phase: leaving their distant and stable orbits beyond Neptune and migrating to the inner solar system, while also entering an active cometary phase. Being stored for billions of years in the freezing confines of the outer solar system, they preserve key insights about the birth of our solar system, which are uniquely revealed as they slowly start to unfreeze in this transient stage.
Using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, a team of astronomers observed Centaur 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1, one of the most active and intriguing objects in the outer solar system. The high degree of detail captured by the telescope led to the discovery of new, previously unknown jets of gas, which is helping inform theories about how centaurs and planets are formed.
A big new sungrazing comet
Comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas is heading for Earth
How to spot Comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas
Comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas is a bright comet that’s about to fly around the Sun and pass near Earth. It’s possible to see the comet in the pre-dawn sky right now, and in a couple of weeks, when the comet makes its closest approach to Earth, it may offer an even more impressive sight. Only time will tell for sure.