/comet
/comet [name] [location] [remember]
Given a name, shows that comet’s current distance from Earth
and the Sun, and (with a location) whether it’s currently above
your horizon — computed live from the Minor Planet Center’s own
orbital elements, the same technique this bot already uses for
/planets, so this works for any comet MPC currently tracks
(800+), not just famous ones. With no name at all, shows a
small, curated list of notable PERIODIC comets and their next
perihelion (closest-to-Sun) dates instead.
Usage: /comet alone for the curated list of notable
periodic comets — or /comet name: Halley for one specific
comet’s live position. name autocompletes as you type,
matching against MPC’s own designations (which include common
names in parentheses, so “neowise” or “halley” both work
without needing the exact formal designation). With a name
given, add a location (or have a saved default) to also see
whether it’s above your horizon right now. Add remember: True
to save a typed location as your new default.
This deliberately does NOT predict brightness in either mode — comet brightness is notoriously unreliable to forecast, unlike planets. Check the linked TheSkyLive page in the response for real observed brightness instead of a theoretical guess.
Parameters
| Name | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
name | No | Optional: a comet name or designation, e.g. 'Halley', '1P', or 'NEOWISE'. Leave blank for a curated… |
location | No | Optional: city, decimal, or DMS coordinates to check visibility (or use saved default). |
remember | No | Also save this as your new default location (otherwise this is a one-off lookup) |