Comet 135P/Shoemaker-Levy
Comet 135P/Shoemaker-Levy is in the constellation of
Aries,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
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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.
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 East London, South Africa (all times relative to the local timezone Africa/Johannesburg):
- 135P/Shoemaker-Levy is above the horizon from East London, South Africa.
- Right now it is placed in the South direction at an altitude of 10.73° above the horizon.
- Given its current magnitude, 135P/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 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 2000 and 31 December 2099, 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 | 6.05058101° |
| 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 | 22.698035116379° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 213.3619815558° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 225.43319857078° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.13160545°/day |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Jun 14 | 03h 03m 32s | +16° 32’ 46” | 22.42 | Aries |
| 2025 Jun 15 | 03h 04m 22s | +16° 35’ 43” | 22.42 | Aries |
| 2025 Jun 16 | 03h 05m 12s | +16° 38’ 37” | 22.42 | Aries |
| 2025 Jun 17 | 03h 06m 02s | +16° 41’ 30” | 22.42 | Aries |
| 2025 Jun 18 | 03h 06m 51s | +16° 44’ 21” | 22.41 | Aries |
| 2025 Jun 19 | 03h 07m 40s | +16° 47’ 09” | 22.41 | Aries |
| 2025 Jun 20 | 03h 08m 29s | +16° 49’ 55” | 22.41 | Aries |
| 2025 Jun 21 | 03h 09m 18s | +16° 52’ 40” | 22.41 | Aries |
| 2025 Jun 22 | 03h 10m 06s | +16° 55’ 22” | 22.40 | Aries |
| 2025 Jun 23 | 03h 10m 54s | +16° 58’ 02” | 22.40 | Aries |
| 2025 Jun 24 | 03h 11m 42s | +17° 00’ 41” | 22.40 | Aries |
| 2025 Jun 25 | 03h 12m 29s | +17° 03’ 16” | 22.40 | Aries |
| 2025 Jun 26 | 03h 13m 18s | +17° 05’ 50” | 22.39 | Aries |
| 2025 Jun 27 | 03h 14m 05s | +17° 08’ 22” | 22.39 | Aries |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 135P/Shoemaker-Levy: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is Comet 135P/Shoemaker-Levy?: Key information on where to find Comet 135P/Shoemaker-Levy in the sky.
- Distance of Comet 135P/Shoemaker-Levy from Earth: Find out how far Comet 135P/Shoemaker-Levy is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet 135P/Shoemaker-Levy?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Rise and set times of Comet 135P/Shoemaker-Levy from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: Planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet 135P/Shoemaker-Levy's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: High precision real time tracker of Comet 135P/Shoemaker-Levy's position using deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet 135P/Shoemaker-Levy's computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: Information about Comet 135P/Shoemaker-Levy orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization: 3D interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet 135P/Shoemaker-Levy with respect to the major Solar System objects.