Latest image
Comet C/2015 O1 (PANSTARRS)
False color unfiltered image of comet C/2015 O1 (PANSTARRS), obtained on 2018 Apr. 8 (1h13-1h23UT) with 60-cm, f/3.3 Deltagraph. Exposure time was 8x60s.
Copyright © 2018 by H. Mikuz, Črni Vrh Observatory.
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 which stores the observations in an SQL database and stores them in ICQ format. Observations may be queried and plotted in the web site or exported for further processing, analysis and publication. The database currently contains more than 235000 comet observations of more than 1200 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 lightcurve
Light-curve of C/2017 S3 (PANSTARRS) (Aug 14, 2018).
Type Comet name Obs date Mag App T Pow Dia DC Tail PA Observer V 21 2018 08 13.99 7.5 5.0B 7 9 5 45.0m265 KAR02 V 2017M4 2018 08 13.93 14.3 30.5L 214 0.5 3 KAR02 C 21 2018 08 13.88 8.4 28.0T A973 8 JAMaa V 21 2018 08 13.84 7.8 8.0B 20 7 4 CAM03 V 21 2018 08 13.84 7.9 80.0B 20 JAKaa V 66 2018 08 13.82 13.9 40.6L 165 1 2 CAM03 V 364 2018 08 13.81 13.3 40.6L 76 1 5 CAM03 V 38 2018 08 13.80 13.8 40.6L 165 1 3 CAM03 V 29 2018 08 13.79 14.0 40.6L 266 1.5 2 CAM03 V 48 2018 08 13.78 12.5 40.6L 76 1 5 CAM03 V 2018L2 2018 08 13.48 14.0 40.6L 165 1 3 CAM03 V 2017M4 2018 08 13.47 14.0 40.6L 266 0.7 4 CAM03 V 2018N1 2018 08 13.46 10.0 40.6L 76 6 1 CAM03 V 2016M1 2018 08 13.45 9.0 8.0R 36 5 5 CAM03 V 2018N1 2018 08 13.38 10.2 25.0L 39 6.4 3 WYA
Comet Observing Planner
Current comet magnitudes and observable region
Comet Mag Trend Observable When visible
45N 45S
C/2017 S3 (PANSTARRS) 2.5 steady 90N to 85S Poor elongation Poor elongation
21P/Giacobini-Zinner 8.0 bright 90N to 25S All night Never up
C/2016 M1 (PANSTARRS) 9.0 fade 33N to 90S Never up Never up
C/2017 T3 (ATLAS) 9.5 fade 62N to 90S Early evening Evening
C/2018 N1 (NEOWISE) 10.5 fade 74N to 90S Evening Best evening
C/2016 R2 (PANSTARRS) 12.0 fade 90N to 38S All night Never up
48P/Johnson 12.5 steady 66N to 90S Best morning Best morning
C/2016 N6 (PANSTARRS) 12.5 steady 90N to 66S Poor elongation Poor elongation
P/2013 R3-A (Catalina-PANSTARRS) 13.0 steady 72N to 90S Best morning Best morning
P/2013 R3-B (Catalina-PANSTARRS) 13.0 steady 72N to 90S Best morning Best morning
364P/PANSTARRS 13.5 fade 55N to 90S Early evening Best morning
37P/Forbes 13.5 fade 90N to 84S Best morning Best morning
66P/du Toit 13.5 fade 75N to 90S Best morning Best morning
38P/Stephan-Oterma 13.5 bright 90N to 85S Early evening Early evening
C/2017 M4 (ATLAS) 14.0 steady 90N to 62S Best evening Evening
29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 14.0 steady 90N to 88S Best morning Best morning
P/2010 H2 (Vales) 14.0 fade 67N to 90S Evening Best evening
The observable region is an approximate indication of the latitude at which the comet may be seen. The period when visible is calculated for latitude 45°N and 45°S.
Latest news
The cautionary tail of Comet Swift–Tuttle
Comet Swift–Tuttle, formally 109P/Swift–Tuttle, is an enormous, icy comet on a 133 year orbit around the Sun, and the reason for the spectacular annual Perseids meteor showers on Earth.
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New Comet: C/2018 N2 (ASASSN)
MPEC 2018-O01, issued on 2018, July 16, announces the discovery of a comet (magnitude ~16.1) in the course of the "All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae" (ASASSN) program, in images taken 2018 July 7-11 with the 14-cm "Cassius" survey telescope at Cerro Tololo. The new comet has been designated C/2018 N2 (ASASSN).
Molecular oxygen in comet's atmosphere not created on its surface
Scientists have found that molecular oxygen around comet 67P is not produced on its surface, as some suggested, but may be from its body.
Chasing 'Oumuamua
The interstellar object 'Oumuamua perplexed scientists in October 2017 as it whipped past Earth at an unusually high speed. This mysterious visitor is the first object ever seen in our solar system that is known to have originated elsewhere.
Our Solar System's First Known Interstellar Object Gets Unexpected Speed Boost
Using observations from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and ground-based observatories, an international team of scientists has confirmed 'Oumuamua (oh-MOO-ah-MOO-ah), the first known interstellar object to travel through our solar system, got an unexpected boost in speed and shift in trajectory as it passed through the inner solar system last year.