Comet 156P/Russell-LINEAR
Comet 156P/Russell-LINEAR is in the constellation of
Libra,
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 |
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 May 28 | 15h 30m 02s | -28° 05’ 47” | 21.72 | Libra |
| 2025 May 29 | 15h 29m 16s | -28° 04’ 08” | 21.72 | Libra |
| 2025 May 30 | 15h 28m 29s | -28° 02’ 27” | 21.72 | Libra |
| 2025 May 31 | 15h 27m 43s | -28° 00’ 43” | 21.72 | Libra |
| 2025 Jun 01 | 15h 26m 57s | -27° 58’ 56” | 21.72 | Libra |
| 2025 Jun 02 | 15h 26m 11s | -27° 57’ 08” | 21.71 | Libra |
| 2025 Jun 03 | 15h 25m 26s | -27° 55’ 18” | 21.71 | Libra |
| 2025 Jun 04 | 15h 24m 42s | -27° 53’ 25” | 21.71 | Libra |
| 2025 Jun 05 | 15h 23m 57s | -27° 51’ 31” | 21.71 | Libra |
| 2025 Jun 06 | 15h 23m 14s | -27° 49’ 36” | 21.71 | Libra |
| 2025 Jun 07 | 15h 22m 30s | -27° 47’ 39” | 21.71 | Libra |
| 2025 Jun 08 | 15h 21m 48s | -27° 45’ 40” | 21.71 | Libra |
| 2025 Jun 09 | 15h 21m 04s | -27° 43’ 40” | 21.71 | Libra |
| 2025 Jun 10 | 15h 20m 23s | -27° 41’ 40” | 21.71 | Libra |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 156P/Russell-LINEAR: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is Comet 156P/Russell-LINEAR?: Key information on locating Comet 156P/Russell-LINEAR in the sky.
- Distance from Earth: Find out how far Comet 156P/Russell-LINEAR is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet 156P/Russell-LINEAR?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Comet 156P/Russell-LINEAR's rise and set times from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet 156P/Russell-LINEAR's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: high precision position tracker with deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet 156P/Russell-LINEAR's computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: information about Comet 156P/Russell-LINEAR orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization. 3d interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet 156P/Russell-LINEAR with respect to the major Solar System objects.