Comet 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR
Comet 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR is currently in the constellation of Aquarius, at a distance of 287,316,102 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 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR from Greenwich, United Kingdom (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR is above the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom.
- Right now it is placed in the South-West direction at an altitude of 6° above the horizon.
- Given its current magnitude, 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Comet 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR Position and Finder Charts
Field of view: 10x6 degrees
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Higher precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR in the sky and additional links to sky charts.
Comet 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR from Earth is currently 287,316,102 kilometers, equivalent to 1.920590 Astronomical Units. Light takes 15 minutes and 58.3834 seconds to travel from Comet 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR and arrive to us.
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR 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 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the Live Position and Data Tracker.
Closest Approach of Comet 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR to Earth
Between 1 January 2013 and 30 December 2100, the closest approach of Comet 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR to Earth happens on Tue Oct 21 2081 at a distance of 0.563059 Astronomical Units, or 84,232,435 kilometers:
NOTE: values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.
Comet 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR Brightness and Light Curve
The following chart is the predicted light curve (visual magnitude as a function of time) of Comet 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR, 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 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of Comet 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR at epoch 28 June 2013 00:00 UTC (JD: 2456472.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.64672666 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 23.09409337° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 1.42576921 AU 213,292,039 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
6.64599299 AU 994,226,402 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
4.03588110 AU 603,759,221 km |
| Orbital period | period |
8.1080 years 2,961.4607 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2016-Jun-29 13:33:46 2,457,569.0651 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2024-Aug-08 00:37 2,460,530.5258 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 317.06895071551° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 53.447243884983° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 226.69975274417° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.12156163°/day |
Visualization of Comet 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR Orbit
This 3d orbit diagram is a feature of our 3D Solar System Simulator and shows the orbit of Comet 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR with respect of the Sun and the orbits of the major planets. The position of Comet 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR 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 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR in the 3D Solar System Simulator
Comet 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR 15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR computed for the past and next 7 days, with a 24 hours interval. Click on each row of the table to locate Comet 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR in our Online Planetarium at the chosen date.
| Date | Right AscensionR.A. | DeclinationDec. | MagnitudeMag | Constellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 May 01 | 23h 18m 55s | -25° 59’ 13” | 19.04 | Sculptor |
| 2024 May 02 | 23h 21m 55s | -25° 46’ 50” | 19.00 | Sculptor |
| 2024 May 03 | 23h 24m 55s | -25° 34’ 18” | 18.97 | Sculptor |
| 2024 May 04 | 23h 27m 55s | -25° 21’ 34” | 18.93 | Sculptor |
| 2024 May 05 | 23h 30m 55s | -25° 08’ 40” | 18.89 | Sculptor |
| 2024 May 06 | 23h 33m 56s | -24° 55’ 37” | 18.85 | Sculptor |
| 2024 May 07 | 23h 36m 56s | -24° 42’ 24” | 18.81 | Aquarius |
| 2024 May 08 | 23h 39m 56s | -24° 29’ 00” | 18.78 | Aquarius |
| 2024 May 09 | 23h 42m 57s | -24° 15’ 28” | 18.74 | Aquarius |
| 2024 May 10 | 23h 46m 00s | -24° 01’ 45” | 18.70 | Aquarius |
| 2024 May 11 | 23h 49m 00s | -23° 47’ 52” | 18.67 | Aquarius |
| 2024 May 12 | 23h 52m 01s | -23° 33’ 50” | 18.63 | Aquarius |
| 2024 May 13 | 23h 55m 04s | -23° 19’ 36” | 18.59 | Aquarius |
| 2024 May 14 | 23h 58m 05s | -23° 05’ 14” | 18.55 | Cetus |