Comet 199P/Shoemaker
Comet 199P/Shoemaker is in the constellation of
Sculptor,
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 199P/Shoemaker from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 199P/Shoemaker is below the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Given its current magnitude, 199P/Shoemaker 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 199P/Shoemaker is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 199P/Shoemaker?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 199P/Shoemaker in the sky and additional links to sky charts.
Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 199P/Shoemaker from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 199P/Shoemaker 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 199P/Shoemaker 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 199P/Shoemaker to Earth happens on Mon Jul 1 2080 at a distance of 1.904339 Astronomical Units, or 284,885,118 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 199P/Shoemaker, 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 199P/Shoemaker at epoch 09 February 2009 00:00 UTC (JD: 2454872.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.50778118 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 24.76497749° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 2.93541074 AU 439,131,198 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
8.99184864 AU 1,345,161,413 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
5.96362969 AU 892,146,306 km |
| Orbital period | period |
14.5638 years 5,319.4218 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2009-Apr-09 21:34:16 2,454,931.3988 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2023-Nov-02 07:41 2,460,250.8206 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 191.93508802605° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 92.948125206371° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 356.01393368245° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.06767653°/day |
Orbit Visualization
View Comet 199P/Shoemaker in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 199P/Shoemaker 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 09 | 01h 23m 36s | -26° 27’ 31” | 19.31 | Sculptor |
| 2024 Sep 10 | 01h 23m 07s | -26° 33’ 12” | 19.32 | Sculptor |
| 2024 Sep 11 | 01h 22m 38s | -26° 38’ 48” | 19.33 | Sculptor |
| 2024 Sep 12 | 01h 22m 09s | -26° 44’ 17” | 19.34 | Sculptor |
| 2024 Sep 13 | 01h 21m 38s | -26° 49’ 39” | 19.34 | Sculptor |
| 2024 Sep 14 | 01h 21m 07s | -26° 54’ 54” | 19.35 | Sculptor |
| 2024 Sep 15 | 01h 20m 35s | -27° 00’ 01” | 19.36 | Sculptor |
| 2024 Sep 16 | 01h 20m 02s | -27° 05’ 02” | 19.37 | Sculptor |
| 2024 Sep 17 | 01h 19m 29s | -27° 09’ 55” | 19.38 | Sculptor |
| 2024 Sep 18 | 01h 18m 55s | -27° 14’ 39” | 19.39 | Sculptor |
| 2024 Sep 19 | 01h 18m 21s | -27° 19’ 15” | 19.39 | Sculptor |
| 2024 Sep 20 | 01h 17m 46s | -27° 23’ 42” | 19.40 | Sculptor |
| 2024 Sep 21 | 01h 17m 11s | -27° 28’ 01” | 19.41 | Sculptor |
| 2024 Sep 22 | 01h 16m 35s | -27° 32’ 11” | 19.42 | Sculptor |
Additional Resources
- Position and finder charts (see also Where is Comet 199P/Shoemaker?)
- Distance from Earth (see also How far is Comet 199P/Shoemaker from Earth?)
- When does Comet 199P/Shoemaker rise and set?
- Brightness (see also How bright is Comet 199P/Shoemaker?)
- Orbital elements. Detailed information about Comet 199P/Shoemaker orbital parameters.
- Interactive orbit visualization. 3d visualization showing the orbit of Comet 199P/Shoemaker with respect to the major Solar System objects.
- 15 days ephemerides. Table showing celestial coordinates and magnitude of Comet 199P/Shoemaker for the past and next 7 days.
- Interactive sky chart. An online planetarium application that shows where to locate Comet 199P/Shoemaker in the sky from your location.
- Live position tracker. A high precision sky chart that uses real deep sky imagery to help locate Comet 199P/Shoemaker with your telescope or on your astrophotographies.