Comet 209P/LINEAR
Comet 209P/LINEAR is in the constellation of
Cetus,
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 27.73° above the horizon.
- Given its current magnitude, 209P/LINEAR is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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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 |
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 Jun 06 | 01h 18m 06s | -10° 57’ 39” | 23.28 | Cetus |
| 2025 Jun 07 | 01h 18m 55s | -10° 55’ 52” | 23.28 | Cetus |
| 2025 Jun 08 | 01h 19m 43s | -10° 54’ 12” | 23.28 | Cetus |
| 2025 Jun 09 | 01h 20m 31s | -10° 52’ 37” | 23.28 | Cetus |
| 2025 Jun 10 | 01h 21m 17s | -10° 51’ 10” | 23.28 | Cetus |
| 2025 Jun 11 | 01h 22m 03s | -10° 49’ 49” | 23.28 | Cetus |
| 2025 Jun 12 | 01h 22m 49s | -10° 48’ 35” | 23.28 | Cetus |
| 2025 Jun 13 | 01h 23m 34s | -10° 47’ 29” | 23.28 | Cetus |
| 2025 Jun 14 | 01h 24m 18s | -10° 46’ 28” | 23.28 | Cetus |
| 2025 Jun 15 | 01h 25m 02s | -10° 45’ 35” | 23.28 | Cetus |
| 2025 Jun 16 | 01h 25m 45s | -10° 44’ 47” | 23.27 | Cetus |
| 2025 Jun 17 | 01h 26m 27s | -10° 44’ 08” | 23.27 | Cetus |
| 2025 Jun 18 | 01h 27m 09s | -10° 43’ 36” | 23.27 | Cetus |
| 2025 Jun 19 | 01h 27m 49s | -10° 43’ 09” | 23.27 | Cetus |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 209P/LINEAR: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is Comet 209P/LINEAR?: Key information on locating Comet 209P/LINEAR in the sky.
- Distance from Earth: Find out how far Comet 209P/LINEAR is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet 209P/LINEAR?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Comet 209P/LINEAR's rise and set times from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet 209P/LINEAR's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: high precision position tracker with deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet 209P/LINEAR's computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: information about Comet 209P/LINEAR orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization. 3d interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet 209P/LINEAR with respect to the major Solar System objects.