Comet 261P/Larson
Comet 261P/Larson is currently in the constellation of Libra, at a distance of 457,783,467 kilometers from Earth.
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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.
Today's rise, transit and set times of Comet 261P/Larson from Greenwich, United Kingdom (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 261P/Larson is below the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom.
- Given its current magnitude, 261P/Larson is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Higher precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 261P/Larson is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 261P/Larson?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 261P/Larson in the sky and additional links to sky charts.
Comet 261P/Larson Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 261P/Larson from Earth is currently 457,783,467 kilometers, equivalent to 3.060093 Astronomical Units. Light takes 25 minutes and 27.0013 seconds to travel from Comet 261P/Larson and arrive to us.
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 261P/Larson 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 261P/Larson from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the Live Position and Data Tracker.
Closest Approach of Comet 261P/Larson to Earth
Between 1 January 2013 and 30 December 2100, the closest approach of Comet 261P/Larson to Earth happens on Sat Sep 1 2091 at a distance of 1.072410 Astronomical Units, or 160,430,263 kilometers:
NOTE: values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.
Comet 261P/Larson Brightness and Light Curve
The following chart is the predicted light curve (visual magnitude as a function of time) of Comet 261P/Larson, 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.
Comet 261P/Larson Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of Comet 261P/Larson at epoch 09 February 2014 00:00 UTC (JD: 2456698.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.39187691 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 6.33654627° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 2.18415099 AU 326,744,338 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
4.99910192 AU 747,855,004 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
3.59162646 AU 537,299,671 km |
| Orbital period | period |
6.8068 years 2,486.1949 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2012-Sep-30 02:25:52 2,456,200.6013 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2019-Jul-22 07:06 2,458,686.7962 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 58.97020034636° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 298.42573157465° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 72.095526584882° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.14479959°/day |
Visualization of Comet 261P/Larson Orbit
This 3d orbit diagram is a feature of our 3D Solar System Simulator and shows the orbit of Comet 261P/Larson with respect of the Sun and the orbits of the major planets. The position of Comet 261P/Larson and the planets along their orbits in this diagram accurately represents the current configuration of the objects in the Solar System. This is an experimental feature and it requires a WebGL enabled browser. Please provide us feedback!
View Comet 261P/Larson in the 3D Solar System Simulator
Comet 261P/Larson 15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 261P/Larson computed for the past and next 7 days, with a 24 hours interval. Click on each row of the table to locate Comet 261P/Larson in our Online Planetarium at the chosen date.
| Date | Right AscensionR.A. | DeclinationDec. | MagnitudeMag | Constellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 May 01 | 14h 39m 14s | -23° 19’ 28” | 26.50 | Libra |
| 2024 May 02 | 14h 38m 29s | -23° 16’ 01” | 26.49 | Libra |
| 2024 May 03 | 14h 37m 42s | -23° 12’ 32” | 26.47 | Libra |
| 2024 May 04 | 14h 36m 57s | -23° 08’ 57” | 26.46 | Libra |
| 2024 May 05 | 14h 36m 11s | -23° 05’ 18” | 26.45 | Libra |
| 2024 May 06 | 14h 35m 26s | -23° 01’ 36” | 26.44 | Libra |
| 2024 May 07 | 14h 34m 41s | -22° 57’ 51” | 26.43 | Libra |
| 2024 May 08 | 14h 33m 55s | -22° 54’ 03” | 26.42 | Libra |
| 2024 May 09 | 14h 33m 10s | -22° 50’ 12” | 26.41 | Libra |
| 2024 May 10 | 14h 32m 25s | -22° 46’ 18” | 26.40 | Libra |
| 2024 May 11 | 14h 31m 40s | -22° 42’ 20” | 26.39 | Libra |
| 2024 May 12 | 14h 30m 55s | -22° 38’ 21” | 26.38 | Libra |
| 2024 May 13 | 14h 30m 11s | -22° 34’ 19” | 26.37 | Libra |
| 2024 May 14 | 14h 29m 26s | -22° 30’ 15” | 26.36 | Libra |