Comet 156P/Russell-LINEAR
Comet 156P/Russell-LINEAR is in the constellation of
Scorpius,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
View interactive star map
High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 156P/Russell-LINEAR is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.


Also check out Where is Comet 156P/Russell-LINEAR?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 156P/Russell-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 156P/Russell-LINEAR from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 156P/Russell-LINEAR is below the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Given its current magnitude, 156P/Russell-LINEAR 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.
Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 156P/Russell-LINEAR from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 156P/Russell-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 156P/Russell-LINEAR from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the Live Position and Data Tracker.
Closest Approach
Between 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2099, the closest approach of Comet 156P/Russell-LINEAR to Earth happens on Thu Oct 29 2099 at a distance of 0.380005 Astronomical Units, or 56,847,889 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 156P/Russell-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 156P/Russell-LINEAR at epoch 27 March 2020 00:00 UTC (JD: 2458936.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
Element | Symbol | Value |
---|---|---|
Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.61490849 |
Orbit inclination | i | 17.26328933° |
Perihelion distance | q | 1.33312151 AU 199,432,140 km |
Aphelion distance | Q |
5.59053935 AU 836,332,785 km |
Semi-major axis | a |
3.46183043 AU 517,882,463 km |
Orbital period | period |
6.4412 years 2,352.6489 days |
Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2020-Nov-17 19:55:55 2,459,171.3305 JD |
Next perihelion transit | 2027-Apr-28 11:30 2,461,523.9794 JD |
|
Argument of perihelion | peri | 0.381717897806° |
Longitude of the ascending node | node | 35.394354727285° |
Mean anomaly | M | 324.06646888291° |
Mean motion | n | 0.15301901°/day |
Orbit Visualization
View Comet 156P/Russell-LINEAR in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 156P/Russell-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 Feb 08 | 16h 02m 55s | -25° 59’ 57” | 22.61 | Scorpius |
2025 Feb 09 | 16h 03m 20s | -26° 02’ 54” | 22.60 | Scorpius |
2025 Feb 10 | 16h 03m 44s | -26° 05’ 51” | 22.59 | Scorpius |
2025 Feb 11 | 16h 04m 07s | -26° 08’ 45” | 22.58 | Scorpius |
2025 Feb 12 | 16h 04m 30s | -26° 11’ 39” | 22.57 | Scorpius |
2025 Feb 13 | 16h 04m 52s | -26° 14’ 33” | 22.56 | Scorpius |
2025 Feb 14 | 16h 05m 13s | -26° 17’ 24” | 22.55 | Scorpius |
2025 Feb 15 | 16h 05m 34s | -26° 20’ 15” | 22.54 | Scorpius |
2025 Feb 16 | 16h 05m 54s | -26° 23’ 05” | 22.53 | Scorpius |
2025 Feb 17 | 16h 06m 13s | -26° 25’ 54” | 22.52 | Scorpius |
2025 Feb 18 | 16h 06m 33s | -26° 28’ 41” | 22.51 | Scorpius |
2025 Feb 19 | 16h 06m 51s | -26° 31’ 28” | 22.50 | Scorpius |
2025 Feb 20 | 16h 07m 08s | -26° 34’ 13” | 22.50 | Scorpius |
2025 Feb 21 | 16h 07m 24s | -26° 36’ 58” | 22.49 | Scorpius |
Additional Resources
- Position and finder charts (see also Where is Comet 156P/Russell-LINEAR?)
- Distance from Earth (see also How far is Comet 156P/Russell-LINEAR from Earth?)
- When does Comet 156P/Russell-LINEAR rise and set?
- Brightness (see also How bright is Comet 156P/Russell-LINEAR?)
- Orbital elements. Detailed information about Comet 156P/Russell-LINEAR orbital parameters.
- Interactive orbit visualization. 3d visualization showing the orbit of Comet 156P/Russell-LINEAR with respect to the major Solar System objects.
- 15 days ephemerides. Table showing celestial coordinates and magnitude of Comet 156P/Russell-LINEAR for the past and next 7 days.
- Interactive sky chart. An online planetarium application that shows where to locate Comet 156P/Russell-LINEAR in the sky from your location.
- Live position tracker. A high precision sky chart that uses real deep sky imagery to help locate Comet 156P/Russell-LINEAR with your telescope or on your astrophotographies.