Comet 129P/Shoemaker-Levy
Comet 129P/Shoemaker-Levy is in the constellation of
Libra,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
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High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 129P/Shoemaker-Levy is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 129P/Shoemaker-Levy?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 129P/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 129P/Shoemaker-Levy from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 129P/Shoemaker-Levy is below the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Given its current magnitude, 129P/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 129P/Shoemaker-Levy from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 129P/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 129P/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 129P/Shoemaker-Levy to Earth happens on Fri Dec 24 2004 at a distance of 1.946997 Astronomical Units, or 291,266,666 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 129P/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 129P/Shoemaker-Levy at epoch 12 October 2012 00:00 UTC (JD: 2456213.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.09784661 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 3.44203351° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 3.91136156 AU 585,131,363 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
4.75980592 AU 712,056,832 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
4.33558374 AU 648,594,097 km |
| Orbital period | period |
9.0278 years 3,297.3860 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2014-Jan-29 19:37:17 2,456,687.3176 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2023-Feb-09 04:53 2,459,984.7036 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 307.01165168729° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 185.98729920145° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 308.26983561914° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.10917739°/day |
View Comet 129P/Shoemaker-Levy in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 129P/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 May 22 | 16h 05m 10s | -16° 59’ 46” | 19.83 | Scorpius |
| 2025 May 23 | 16h 04m 33s | -16° 57’ 45” | 19.83 | Scorpius |
| 2025 May 24 | 16h 03m 56s | -16° 55’ 44” | 19.83 | Scorpius |
| 2025 May 25 | 16h 03m 19s | -16° 53’ 45” | 19.83 | Libra |
| 2025 May 26 | 16h 02m 42s | -16° 51’ 46” | 19.84 | Libra |
| 2025 May 27 | 16h 02m 05s | -16° 49’ 48” | 19.84 | Libra |
| 2025 May 28 | 16h 01m 28s | -16° 47’ 51” | 19.84 | Libra |
| 2025 May 29 | 16h 00m 51s | -16° 45’ 55” | 19.84 | Libra |
| 2025 May 30 | 16h 00m 15s | -16° 44’ 01” | 19.84 | Libra |
| 2025 May 31 | 15h 59m 39s | -16° 42’ 08” | 19.84 | Libra |
| 2025 Jun 01 | 15h 59m 03s | -16° 40’ 17” | 19.85 | Libra |
| 2025 Jun 02 | 15h 58m 27s | -16° 38’ 27” | 19.85 | Libra |
| 2025 Jun 03 | 15h 57m 52s | -16° 36’ 38” | 19.85 | Libra |
| 2025 Jun 04 | 15h 57m 17s | -16° 34’ 51” | 19.85 | Libra |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 129P/Shoemaker-Levy: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is Comet 129P/Shoemaker-Levy?: Key information on locating Comet 129P/Shoemaker-Levy in the sky.
- Distance from Earth: Find out how far Comet 129P/Shoemaker-Levy is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet 129P/Shoemaker-Levy?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Comet 129P/Shoemaker-Levy's rise and set times from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet 129P/Shoemaker-Levy's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: high precision position tracker with deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet 129P/Shoemaker-Levy's computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: information about Comet 129P/Shoemaker-Levy orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization. 3d interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet 129P/Shoemaker-Levy with respect to the major Solar System objects.