Comet 118P/Shoemaker-Levy
Comet 118P/Shoemaker-Levy is currently in the constellation of Libra, at a distance of 429,385,411 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 118P/Shoemaker-Levy from Greenwich, United Kingdom (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 118P/Shoemaker-Levy is below the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom .
- Given its current magnitude, 118P/Shoemaker-Levy is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Comet 118P/Shoemaker-Levy 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 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.
Comet 118P/Shoemaker-Levy Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 118P/Shoemaker-Levy from Earth is currently 429,385,411 kilometers, equivalent to 2.870264 Astronomical Units. Light takes 23 minutes and 52.2756 seconds to travel from Comet 118P/Shoemaker-Levy and arrive to us.
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 of Comet 118P/Shoemaker-Levy to Earth
Between 1 January 2013 and 30 December 2100, the closest approach of Comet 118P/Shoemaker-Levy to Earth happens on Sat Dec 23 2028 at a distance of 0.878347 Astronomical Units, or 131,398,768 kilometers:
NOTE: values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.
Comet 118P/Shoemaker-Levy Brightness and 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.
Comet 118P/Shoemaker-Levy Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of Comet 118P/Shoemaker-Levy at epoch 04 September 2020 00:00 UTC (JD: 2459097.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.45764405 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 9.71424136° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 1.83899996 AU 275,110,479 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
4.94252415 AU 739,391,090 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
3.39076206 AU 507,250,785 km |
| Orbital period | period |
6.2439 years 2,280.5752 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2022-Nov-14 09:02:33 2,459,897.8768 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2029-Feb-10 22:50 2,462,178.4520 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 312.43047068119° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 142.8012274418° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 233.65659339128° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.15785491°/day |
Visualization of Comet 118P/Shoemaker-Levy Orbit
This 3d orbit diagram is a feature of our 3D Solar System Simulator and shows the orbit of Comet 118P/Shoemaker-Levy with respect of the Sun and the orbits of the major planets. The position of Comet 118P/Shoemaker-Levy 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 118P/Shoemaker-Levy in the 3D Solar System Simulator
Comet 118P/Shoemaker-Levy 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. Click on each row of the table to locate Comet 118P/Shoemaker-Levy in our Online Planetarium at the chosen date.
| Date | Right AscensionR.A. | DeclinationDec. | MagnitudeMag | Constellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Apr 18 | 15h 43m 46s | -06° 08’ 38” | 20.87 | Libra |
| 2024 Apr 19 | 15h 43m 09s | -06° 04’ 37” | 20.87 | Libra |
| 2024 Apr 20 | 15h 42m 32s | -06° 00’ 39” | 20.88 | Libra |
| 2024 Apr 21 | 15h 41m 53s | -05° 56’ 43” | 20.88 | Libra |
| 2024 Apr 22 | 15h 41m 14s | -05° 52’ 47” | 20.88 | Libra |
| 2024 Apr 23 | 15h 40m 35s | -05° 48’ 55” | 20.88 | Libra |
| 2024 Apr 24 | 15h 39m 55s | -05° 45’ 03” | 20.89 | Libra |
| 2024 Apr 25 | 15h 39m 14s | -05° 41’ 14” | 20.89 | Libra |
| 2024 Apr 26 | 15h 38m 31s | -05° 37’ 27” | 20.89 | Libra |
| 2024 Apr 27 | 15h 37m 50s | -05° 33’ 43” | 20.90 | Libra |
| 2024 Apr 28 | 15h 37m 08s | -05° 30’ 02” | 20.90 | Libra |
| 2024 Apr 29 | 15h 36m 24s | -05° 26’ 25” | 20.90 | Libra |
| 2024 Apr 30 | 15h 35m 42s | -05° 22’ 49” | 20.91 | Libra |
| 2024 May 01 | 15h 34m 58s | -05° 19’ 17” | 20.91 | Libra |