Comet 204P/LINEAR-NEAT
Comet 204P/LINEAR-NEAT is in the constellation of
Sagittarius,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
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High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 204P/LINEAR-NEAT is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 204P/LINEAR-NEAT?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 204P/LINEAR-NEAT 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 204P/LINEAR-NEAT from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 204P/LINEAR-NEAT is below the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Given its current magnitude, 204P/LINEAR-NEAT is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 204P/LINEAR-NEAT from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 204P/LINEAR-NEAT 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 204P/LINEAR-NEAT 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 204P/LINEAR-NEAT to Earth happens on Mon Jan 18 2016 at a distance of 0.976006 Astronomical Units, or 146,008,396 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 204P/LINEAR-NEAT, 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 204P/LINEAR-NEAT at epoch 27 November 2014 00:00 UTC (JD: 2456989.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.47217310 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 6.58885931° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 1.92992845 AU 288,713,188 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
5.38280396 AU 805,256,013 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
3.65636621 AU 546,984,600 km |
| Orbital period | period |
6.9917 years 2,553.7181 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2015-Dec-11 12:45:33 2,457,368.0316 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2022-Dec-08 05:59 2,459,921.7497 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 355.04771051761° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 109.07289485234° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 306.63804632106° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.14097092°/day |
View Comet 204P/LINEAR-NEAT in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 204P/LINEAR-NEAT 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 06 | 18h 02m 00s | -20° 27’ 21” | 23.67 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 Jun 07 | 18h 01m 21s | -20° 27’ 43” | 23.67 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 Jun 08 | 18h 00m 42s | -20° 28’ 05” | 23.67 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 Jun 09 | 18h 00m 02s | -20° 28’ 27” | 23.67 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 Jun 10 | 17h 59m 22s | -20° 28’ 50” | 23.67 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 Jun 11 | 17h 58m 42s | -20° 29’ 12” | 23.67 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 Jun 12 | 17h 58m 02s | -20° 29’ 35” | 23.67 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 Jun 13 | 17h 57m 21s | -20° 29’ 58” | 23.67 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 Jun 14 | 17h 56m 41s | -20° 30’ 21” | 23.67 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 Jun 15 | 17h 56m 00s | -20° 30’ 44” | 23.67 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 Jun 16 | 17h 55m 19s | -20° 31’ 07” | 23.67 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 Jun 17 | 17h 54m 39s | -20° 31’ 30” | 23.67 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 Jun 18 | 17h 53m 58s | -20° 31’ 54” | 23.68 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 Jun 19 | 17h 53m 17s | -20° 32’ 17” | 23.68 | Sagittarius |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 204P/LINEAR-NEAT: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is Comet 204P/LINEAR-NEAT?: Key information on locating Comet 204P/LINEAR-NEAT in the sky.
- Distance from Earth: Find out how far Comet 204P/LINEAR-NEAT is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet 204P/LINEAR-NEAT?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Comet 204P/LINEAR-NEAT's rise and set times from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet 204P/LINEAR-NEAT's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: high precision position tracker with deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet 204P/LINEAR-NEAT's computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: information about Comet 204P/LINEAR-NEAT orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization. 3d interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet 204P/LINEAR-NEAT with respect to the major Solar System objects.