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Comet 252P/LINEAR Position Calculator
Compute the position of Comet 252P/LINEAR for any date and time between 1 January 2013 and 30 December 2100 and visualize the results on an interactive sky map.
Comet 252P/LINEAR
Comet 252P/LINEAR is in the constellation of
Pisces,
at a distance of
View interactive star map
Celestial Coordinates
Apparent
J2000
Additional Information
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.
Rise and Set Times
Today's rise, transit and set times of Comet 252P/LINEAR from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 252P/LINEAR is above the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Right now it is placed in the South-South-East direction at an altitude of 44.57° above the horizon.
- Given its current magnitude, 252P/LINEAR is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
If you need to access this information frequently for your observations, you can create a simple customized Quick Access page, so that you can easily bookmark it in your browser favorites or add a shortcut to your mobile phones' home screen.
Finder Charts
High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 252P/LINEAR is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 252P/LINEAR?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 252P/LINEAR in the sky and additional links to sky charts.
Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 252P/LINEAR from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 252P/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 252P/LINEAR from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the Live Position and Data Tracker.
Closest Approach
Between 1 January 2013 and 30 December 2100, the closest approach of Comet 252P/LINEAR to Earth happens on Tue Mar 22 2016 at a distance of 0.035735 Astronomical Units, or 5,345,817 kilometers:
NOTE: values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.
Light Curve
The following chart is the predicted light curve (visual magnitude as a function of time) of Comet 252P/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.
Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of Comet 252P/LINEAR at epoch 12 June 2016 00:00 UTC (JD: 2457552.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.67308502 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 10.42219597° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 0.99604590 AU 149,006,346 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
5.09756221 AU 762,584,455 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
3.04680406 AU 455,795,400 km |
| Orbital period | period |
5.3183 years 1,942.5187 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2016-Mar-15 06:19:30 2,457,462.7635 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2021-Jul-09 18:46 2,459,405.2823 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 343.31047464389° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 190.94849576985° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 16.630533941618° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.18532640°/day |
Orbit Visualization
View Comet 252P/LINEAR in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 252P/LINEAR computed for the past and next 7 days, with a 24 hours interval. Apparent celestial coordinates are provided.
| Date | Right AscensionR.A. | DeclinationDec. | MagnitudeMag | Constellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Jul 22 | 00h 43m 14s | +06° 45’ 39” | 31.31 | Pisces |
| 2024 Jul 23 | 00h 43m 12s | +06° 45’ 16” | 31.30 | Pisces |
| 2024 Jul 24 | 00h 43m 09s | +06° 44’ 47” | 31.29 | Pisces |
| 2024 Jul 25 | 00h 43m 06s | +06° 44’ 14” | 31.28 | Pisces |
| 2024 Jul 26 | 00h 43m 02s | +06° 43’ 35” | 31.27 | Pisces |
| 2024 Jul 27 | 00h 42m 58s | +06° 42’ 51” | 31.26 | Pisces |
| 2024 Jul 28 | 00h 42m 52s | +06° 42’ 02” | 31.25 | Pisces |
| 2024 Jul 29 | 00h 42m 46s | +06° 41’ 08” | 31.24 | Pisces |
| 2024 Jul 30 | 00h 42m 39s | +06° 40’ 08” | 31.23 | Pisces |
| 2024 Jul 31 | 00h 42m 31s | +06° 39’ 04” | 31.22 | Pisces |
| 2024 Aug 01 | 00h 42m 22s | +06° 37’ 54” | 31.22 | Pisces |
| 2024 Aug 02 | 00h 42m 13s | +06° 36’ 40” | 31.21 | Pisces |
| 2024 Aug 03 | 00h 42m 03s | +06° 35’ 19” | 31.20 | Pisces |
| 2024 Aug 04 | 00h 41m 52s | +06° 33’ 53” | 31.19 | Pisces |
Additional Resources
- Position and finder charts (see also Where is Comet 252P/LINEAR?)
- Distance from Earth (see also How far is Comet 252P/LINEAR from Earth?)
- When does Comet 252P/LINEAR rise and set?
- Brightness (see also How bright is Comet 252P/LINEAR?)
- Orbital elements. Detailed information about Comet 252P/LINEAR orbital parameters.
- Interactive orbit visualization. 3d visualization showing the orbit of Comet 252P/LINEAR with respect to the major Solar System objects.
- 15 days ephemerides. Table showing celestial coordinates and magnitude of Comet 252P/LINEAR for the past and next 7 days.
- Interactive sky chart. An online planetarium application that shows where to locate Comet 252P/LINEAR in the sky from your location.
- Live position tracker. A high precision sky chart that uses real deep sky imagery to help locate Comet 252P/LINEAR with your telescope or on your astrophotographies.