Comet 135P/Shoemaker-Levy
Comet 135P/Shoemaker-Levy 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 135P/Shoemaker-Levy from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 135P/Shoemaker-Levy is below the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Given its current magnitude, 135P/Shoemaker-Levy 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 135P/Shoemaker-Levy is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 135P/Shoemaker-Levy?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 135P/Shoemaker-Levy in the sky and additional links to sky charts.
Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 135P/Shoemaker-Levy from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 135P/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 135P/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 2013 and 30 December 2100, the closest approach of Comet 135P/Shoemaker-Levy to Earth happens on Sat May 28 2022 at a distance of 1.686005 Astronomical Units, or 252,222,725 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 135P/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 135P/Shoemaker-Levy at epoch 20 February 1997 00:00 UTC (JD: 2450500.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.29022851 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 6.05058089° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 2.71688981 AU 406,440,931 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
4.93878488 AU 738,831,704 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
3.82783735 AU 572,636,317 km |
| Orbital period | period |
7.4893 years 2,735.4491 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 1999-Dec-10 12:02:32 2,451,523.0018 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2007-Jun-06 22:49 2,454,258.4509 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 22.698033610268° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 213.36198304826° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 225.43319859875° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.13160545°/day |
Orbit Visualization
View Comet 135P/Shoemaker-Levy in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 135P/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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Sep 03 | 01h 37m 31s | +12° 15’ 08” | 21.01 | Pisces |
| 2024 Sep 04 | 01h 37m 12s | +12° 13’ 02” | 21.01 | Pisces |
| 2024 Sep 05 | 01h 36m 53s | +12° 10’ 50” | 21.01 | Pisces |
| 2024 Sep 06 | 01h 36m 33s | +12° 08’ 34” | 21.00 | Pisces |
| 2024 Sep 07 | 01h 36m 12s | +12° 06’ 12” | 21.00 | Pisces |
| 2024 Sep 08 | 01h 35m 51s | +12° 03’ 45” | 21.00 | Pisces |
| 2024 Sep 09 | 01h 35m 28s | +12° 01’ 14” | 21.00 | Pisces |
| 2024 Sep 10 | 01h 35m 05s | +11° 58’ 37” | 20.99 | Pisces |
| 2024 Sep 11 | 01h 34m 42s | +11° 55’ 55” | 20.99 | Pisces |
| 2024 Sep 12 | 01h 34m 17s | +11° 53’ 09” | 20.99 | Pisces |
| 2024 Sep 13 | 01h 33m 52s | +11° 50’ 18” | 20.99 | Pisces |
| 2024 Sep 14 | 01h 33m 26s | +11° 47’ 22” | 20.99 | Pisces |
| 2024 Sep 15 | 01h 33m 00s | +11° 44’ 23” | 20.99 | Pisces |
| 2024 Sep 16 | 01h 32m 33s | +11° 41’ 18” | 20.99 | Pisces |
Additional Resources
- Position and finder charts (see also Where is Comet 135P/Shoemaker-Levy?)
- Distance from Earth (see also How far is Comet 135P/Shoemaker-Levy from Earth?)
- When does Comet 135P/Shoemaker-Levy rise and set?
- Brightness (see also How bright is Comet 135P/Shoemaker-Levy?)
- Orbital elements. Detailed information about Comet 135P/Shoemaker-Levy orbital parameters.
- Interactive orbit visualization. 3d visualization showing the orbit of Comet 135P/Shoemaker-Levy with respect to the major Solar System objects.
- 15 days ephemerides. Table showing celestial coordinates and magnitude of Comet 135P/Shoemaker-Levy for the past and next 7 days.
- Interactive sky chart. An online planetarium application that shows where to locate Comet 135P/Shoemaker-Levy in the sky from your location.
- Live position tracker. A high precision sky chart that uses real deep sky imagery to help locate Comet 135P/Shoemaker-Levy with your telescope or on your astrophotographies.