Comet 118P/Shoemaker-Levy
Comet 118P/Shoemaker-Levy is in the constellation of
Serpens,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
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High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 118P/Shoemaker-Levy is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 118P/Shoemaker-Levy?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 118P/Shoemaker-Levy in the sky and additional links to sky charts.
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 118P/Shoemaker-Levy from West Vancouver, Canada (all times relative to the local timezone America/Vancouver):
- 118P/Shoemaker-Levy is above the horizon from West Vancouver, Canada.
- Right now it is placed in the South-East direction at an altitude of 14.26° above the horizon.
- Given its current magnitude, 118P/Shoemaker-Levy is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 118P/Shoemaker-Levy from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 118P/Shoemaker-Levy 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 118P/Shoemaker-Levy from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the Live Position and Data Tracker.
Closest Approach
Between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2099, the closest approach of Comet 118P/Shoemaker-Levy to Earth happens on Sat Dec 23 2028 at a distance of 0.878735 Astronomical Units, or 131,456,897 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 118P/Shoemaker-Levy, 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 118P/Shoemaker-Levy at epoch 21 June 2021 00:00 UTC (JD: 2459387.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.45508632 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 10.09386690° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 1.83136335 AU 273,968,059 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
4.89030073 AU 731,578,578 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
3.36083204 AU 502,773,318 km |
| Orbital period | period |
6.1614 years 2,250.4462 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2022-Nov-22 22:20:09 2,459,906.4307 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2029-Jan-20 09:02 2,462,156.8769 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 314.43614595575° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 142.11497073752° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 276.98755683882° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.15996827°/day |
View Comet 118P/Shoemaker-Levy in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 118P/Shoemaker-Levy 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Jun 01 | 17h 50m 05s | -12° 34’ 27” | 22.74 | Serpens |
| 2025 Jun 02 | 17h 49m 26s | -12° 34’ 02” | 22.74 | Serpens |
| 2025 Jun 03 | 17h 48m 47s | -12° 33’ 40” | 22.74 | Serpens |
| 2025 Jun 04 | 17h 48m 08s | -12° 33’ 20” | 22.74 | Serpens |
| 2025 Jun 05 | 17h 47m 28s | -12° 33’ 03” | 22.74 | Serpens |
| 2025 Jun 06 | 17h 46m 48s | -12° 32’ 47” | 22.74 | Serpens |
| 2025 Jun 07 | 17h 46m 07s | -12° 32’ 35” | 22.74 | Serpens |
| 2025 Jun 08 | 17h 45m 27s | -12° 32’ 24” | 22.74 | Serpens |
| 2025 Jun 09 | 17h 44m 46s | -12° 32’ 17” | 22.74 | Serpens |
| 2025 Jun 10 | 17h 44m 05s | -12° 32’ 11” | 22.74 | Serpens |
| 2025 Jun 11 | 17h 43m 24s | -12° 32’ 08” | 22.74 | Serpens |
| 2025 Jun 12 | 17h 42m 43s | -12° 32’ 07” | 22.74 | Serpens |
| 2025 Jun 13 | 17h 42m 01s | -12° 32’ 09” | 22.74 | Serpens |
| 2025 Jun 14 | 17h 41m 20s | -12° 32’ 13” | 22.74 | Serpens |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 118P/Shoemaker-Levy: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is Comet 118P/Shoemaker-Levy?: Key information on locating Comet 118P/Shoemaker-Levy in the sky.
- Distance from Earth: Find out how far Comet 118P/Shoemaker-Levy is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet 118P/Shoemaker-Levy?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Comet 118P/Shoemaker-Levy's rise and set times from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet 118P/Shoemaker-Levy's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: high precision position tracker with deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet 118P/Shoemaker-Levy's computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: information about Comet 118P/Shoemaker-Levy orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization. 3d interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet 118P/Shoemaker-Levy with respect to the major Solar System objects.