❤ Support this Project
Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann Position Calculator
Compute the position of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann for any date and time between 1 January 2013 and 30 December 2100 and visualize the results on an interactive sky map.
Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann
Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann is in the constellation of
Cancer,
at a distance of
View interactive star map
Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann is a periodic comet discovered on November 15, 1927 by German astronomers Arnold Schwassmann and Arno Wachmann. It is also known as Comet Schwassmann–Wachmann 1. It moves along a low eccentricity orbit between Jupiter and Saturn, that takes it from a perihelion distance of 5.8 astronomical units (AU) from the Sun to an aphelion distance of 6.3 AU. It completes one orbit around the Sun every 14.9 years. Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann is also known for its unpredictable outbursts which, in the space of few hours, can cause it to brighten significantly, up to 5 magnitudes.
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 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann is below the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Given its current magnitude, 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 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 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann in the sky and additional links to sky charts.
Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 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 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 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 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann to Earth happens on Fri Oct 13 2034 at a distance of 4.725860 Astronomical Units, or 706,978,666 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 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann, 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 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann at epoch 31 December 2022 00:00 UTC (JD: 2459945.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.04475336 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 9.36406979° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 5.77653321 AU 864,157,070 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
6.31779504 AU 945,128,688 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
6.04716413 AU 904,642,879 km |
| Orbital period | period |
14.8709 years 5,431.5785 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2019-Apr-19 19:00:43 2,458,593.2922 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2034-Mar-03 08:53 2,464,024.8707 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 50.913318057458° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 312.39414949962° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 89.623084588802° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.06627908°/day |
Orbit Visualization
View Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 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 | 09h 00m 26s | +16° 42’ 02” | 17.96 | Cancer |
| 2024 Jul 23 | 09h 01m 10s | +16° 38’ 23” | 17.96 | Cancer |
| 2024 Jul 24 | 09h 01m 54s | +16° 34’ 45” | 17.96 | Cancer |
| 2024 Jul 25 | 09h 02m 37s | +16° 31’ 05” | 17.96 | Cancer |
| 2024 Jul 26 | 09h 03m 21s | +16° 27’ 25” | 17.96 | Cancer |
| 2024 Jul 27 | 09h 04m 05s | +16° 23’ 44” | 17.96 | Cancer |
| 2024 Jul 28 | 09h 04m 50s | +16° 20’ 02” | 17.97 | Cancer |
| 2024 Jul 29 | 09h 05m 34s | +16° 16’ 19” | 17.97 | Cancer |
| 2024 Jul 30 | 09h 06m 18s | +16° 12’ 36” | 17.97 | Cancer |
| 2024 Jul 31 | 09h 07m 02s | +16° 08’ 52” | 17.97 | Cancer |
| 2024 Aug 01 | 09h 07m 46s | +16° 05’ 07” | 17.97 | Cancer |
| 2024 Aug 02 | 09h 08m 30s | +16° 01’ 21” | 17.97 | Cancer |
| 2024 Aug 03 | 09h 09m 14s | +15° 57’ 33” | 17.97 | Cancer |
| 2024 Aug 04 | 09h 09m 57s | +15° 53’ 46” | 17.97 | Cancer |
Additional Resources
- Position and finder charts (see also Where is Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann?)
- Distance from Earth (see also How far is Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann from Earth?)
- When does Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann rise and set?
- Brightness (see also How bright is Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann?)
- Orbital elements. Detailed information about Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann orbital parameters.
- Interactive orbit visualization. 3d visualization showing the orbit of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann with respect to the major Solar System objects.
- 15 days ephemerides. Table showing celestial coordinates and magnitude of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann for the past and next 7 days.
- Interactive sky chart. An online planetarium application that shows where to locate Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann in the sky from your location.
- Live position tracker. A high precision sky chart that uses real deep sky imagery to help locate Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann with your telescope or on your astrophotographies.