Comet 249P/LINEAR
Comet 249P/LINEAR is in the constellation of
Leo,
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 249P/LINEAR from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 249P/LINEAR is below the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Given its current magnitude, 249P/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.
Finder Charts
High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 249P/LINEAR is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 249P/LINEAR?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 249P/LINEAR in the sky and additional links to sky charts.
Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 249P/LINEAR from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 249P/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 249P/LINEAR 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 249P/LINEAR to Earth happens on Thu Apr 23 2076 at a distance of 0.050799 Astronomical Units, or 7,599,441 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 249P/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 249P/LINEAR at epoch 24 July 2014 00:00 UTC (JD: 2456863.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.81866843 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 8.39934386° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 0.50234501 AU 75,149,744 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
5.03827893 AU 753,715,801 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
2.77031197 AU 414,432,772 km |
| Orbital period | period |
4.6111 years 1,684.1914 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2015-Nov-26 18:53:49 2,457,353.2874 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2020-Jul-06 23:29 2,459,037.4788 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 64.810357708193° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 239.85204448666° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 255.30675821623° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.21375243°/day |
Orbit Visualization
View Comet 249P/LINEAR in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 249P/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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Sep 13 | 11h 13m 49s | -00° 56’ 17” | 22.49 | Leo |
| 2024 Sep 14 | 11h 15m 28s | -01° 05’ 52” | 22.47 | Leo |
| 2024 Sep 15 | 11h 17m 06s | -01° 15’ 31” | 22.45 | Leo |
| 2024 Sep 16 | 11h 18m 46s | -01° 25’ 16” | 22.44 | Leo |
| 2024 Sep 17 | 11h 20m 26s | -01° 35’ 06” | 22.42 | Leo |
| 2024 Sep 18 | 11h 22m 07s | -01° 45’ 00” | 22.40 | Leo |
| 2024 Sep 19 | 11h 23m 48s | -01° 55’ 00” | 22.39 | Leo |
| 2024 Sep 20 | 11h 25m 31s | -02° 05’ 04” | 22.37 | Leo |
| 2024 Sep 21 | 11h 27m 13s | -02° 15’ 14” | 22.35 | Leo |
| 2024 Sep 22 | 11h 28m 57s | -02° 25’ 29” | 22.33 | Leo |
| 2024 Sep 23 | 11h 30m 41s | -02° 35’ 50” | 22.31 | Leo |
| 2024 Sep 24 | 11h 32m 26s | -02° 46’ 15” | 22.30 | Leo |
| 2024 Sep 25 | 11h 34m 11s | -02° 56’ 46” | 22.28 | Leo |
| 2024 Sep 26 | 11h 35m 58s | -03° 07’ 21” | 22.26 | Leo |
Additional Resources
- Position and finder charts (see also Where is Comet 249P/LINEAR?)
- Distance from Earth (see also How far is Comet 249P/LINEAR from Earth?)
- When does Comet 249P/LINEAR rise and set?
- Brightness (see also How bright is Comet 249P/LINEAR?)
- Orbital elements. Detailed information about Comet 249P/LINEAR orbital parameters.
- Interactive orbit visualization. 3d visualization showing the orbit of Comet 249P/LINEAR with respect to the major Solar System objects.
- 15 days ephemerides. Table showing celestial coordinates and magnitude of Comet 249P/LINEAR for the past and next 7 days.
- Interactive sky chart. An online planetarium application that shows where to locate Comet 249P/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 249P/LINEAR with your telescope or on your astrophotographies.