Comet 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR
Comet 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR is in the constellation of
Auriga,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
View interactive star map
High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR 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 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR is above the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Right now it is placed in the East-South-East direction at an altitude of 68.26° above the horizon.
- Given its current magnitude, 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR 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 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR 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 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR to Earth happens on Tue Oct 21 2081 at a distance of 0.563913 Astronomical Units, or 84,360,181 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 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR, 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 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR at epoch 27 March 2022 00:00 UTC (JD: 2459666.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.64732474 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 23.10862637° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 1.42160367 AU 212,668,883 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
6.64022452 AU 993,363,452 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
4.03091410 AU 603,016,167 km |
| Orbital period | period |
8.0931 years 2,955.9953 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2024-Aug-05 08:59:23 2,460,527.8746 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2032-Sep-08 08:52 2,463,483.8699 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 316.98900191297° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 53.38016623504° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 255.09629976837° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.12178639°/day |
View Comet 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR 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 13 | 07h 15m 16s | +41° 00’ 15” | 25.62 | Auriga |
| 2025 May 14 | 07h 16m 55s | +40° 55’ 50” | 25.65 | Auriga |
| 2025 May 15 | 07h 18m 35s | +40° 51’ 25” | 25.68 | Auriga |
| 2025 May 16 | 07h 20m 15s | +40° 46’ 57” | 25.71 | Auriga |
| 2025 May 17 | 07h 21m 55s | +40° 42’ 28” | 25.74 | Auriga |
| 2025 May 18 | 07h 23m 34s | +40° 37’ 57” | 25.77 | Auriga |
| 2025 May 19 | 07h 25m 14s | +40° 33’ 26” | 25.80 | Auriga |
| 2025 May 20 | 07h 26m 54s | +40° 28’ 52” | 25.83 | Auriga |
| 2025 May 21 | 07h 28m 32s | +40° 24’ 18” | 25.86 | Auriga |
| 2025 May 22 | 07h 30m 12s | +40° 19’ 42” | 25.89 | Auriga |
| 2025 May 23 | 07h 31m 52s | +40° 15’ 04” | 25.92 | Auriga |
| 2025 May 24 | 07h 33m 31s | +40° 10’ 25” | 25.95 | Lynx |
| 2025 May 25 | 07h 35m 10s | +40° 05’ 44” | 25.98 | Lynx |
| 2025 May 26 | 07h 36m 50s | +40° 01’ 02” | 26.01 | Lynx |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is Comet 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR?: Key information on locating Comet 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR in the sky.
- Distance from Earth: Find out how far Comet 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Comet 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR's rise and set times from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: high precision position tracker with deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR's computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: information about Comet 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization. 3d interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet 146P/Shoemaker-LINEAR with respect to the major Solar System objects.