Comet 209P/LINEAR
Comet 209P/LINEAR is in the constellation of
Pisces Austrinus,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
View interactive star map
High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 209P/LINEAR is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 209P/LINEAR?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 209P/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 209P/LINEAR from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 209P/LINEAR is above the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Right now it is placed in the South direction at an altitude of 13.57° above the horizon.
- Given its current magnitude, 209P/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 209P/LINEAR from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 209P/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 209P/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 209P/LINEAR to Earth happens on Thu May 29 2014 at a distance of 0.055551 Astronomical Units, or 8,310,272 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 209P/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 209P/LINEAR at epoch 08 June 2012 00:00 UTC (JD: 2456087.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.68144491 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 21.33781492° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 0.93959006 AU 140,560,673 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
4.95948423 AU 741,928,282 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
2.94953715 AU 441,244,478 km |
| Orbital period | period |
5.0657 years 1,850.2450 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2014-Apr-30 20:16:24 2,456,778.3447 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2019-May-25 02:09 2,458,628.5897 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 152.63485855721° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 62.868525317692° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 225.58314856149° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.19456883°/day |
Orbit Visualization
View Comet 209P/LINEAR in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 209P/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 Jan 30 | 22h 29m 11s | -26° 16’ 45” | 22.50 | Pisces Austrinus |
| 2025 Jan 31 | 22h 31m 00s | -26° 05’ 52” | 22.51 | Pisces Austrinus |
| 2025 Feb 01 | 22h 32m 50s | -25° 55’ 00” | 22.53 | Pisces Austrinus |
| 2025 Feb 02 | 22h 34m 38s | -25° 44’ 12” | 22.54 | Pisces Austrinus |
| 2025 Feb 03 | 22h 36m 25s | -25° 33’ 24” | 22.55 | Pisces Austrinus |
| 2025 Feb 04 | 22h 38m 13s | -25° 22’ 38” | 22.57 | Pisces Austrinus |
| 2025 Feb 05 | 22h 40m 00s | -25° 11’ 54” | 22.58 | Pisces Austrinus |
| 2025 Feb 06 | 22h 41m 46s | -25° 01’ 11” | 22.59 | Pisces Austrinus |
| 2025 Feb 07 | 22h 43m 32s | -24° 50’ 31” | 22.61 | Pisces Austrinus |
| 2025 Feb 08 | 22h 45m 17s | -24° 39’ 54” | 22.62 | Aquarius |
| 2025 Feb 09 | 22h 47m 01s | -24° 29’ 18” | 22.63 | Aquarius |
| 2025 Feb 10 | 22h 48m 44s | -24° 18’ 43” | 22.64 | Aquarius |
| 2025 Feb 11 | 22h 50m 28s | -24° 08’ 11” | 22.66 | Aquarius |
| 2025 Feb 12 | 22h 52m 11s | -23° 57’ 41” | 22.67 | Aquarius |
Additional Resources
- Position and finder charts (see also Where is Comet 209P/LINEAR?)
- Distance from Earth (see also How far is Comet 209P/LINEAR from Earth?)
- When does Comet 209P/LINEAR rise and set?
- Brightness (see also How bright is Comet 209P/LINEAR?)
- Orbital elements. Detailed information about Comet 209P/LINEAR orbital parameters.
- Interactive orbit visualization. 3d visualization showing the orbit of Comet 209P/LINEAR with respect to the major Solar System objects.
- 15 days ephemerides. Table showing celestial coordinates and magnitude of Comet 209P/LINEAR for the past and next 7 days.
- Interactive sky chart. An online planetarium application that shows where to locate Comet 209P/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 209P/LINEAR with your telescope or on your astrophotographies.