Comet 249P/LINEAR
Comet 249P/LINEAR is in the constellation of
Taurus,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
View interactive star map
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.
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 above the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Right now it is placed in the West-North-West direction at an altitude of 16.20° above the horizon.
- Given its current magnitude, 249P/LINEAR is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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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 2000 and 31 December 2099, 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 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 May 14 | 04h 12m 31s | +19° 59’ 53” | 21.71 | Taurus |
| 2025 May 15 | 04h 14m 55s | +20° 04’ 10” | 21.73 | Taurus |
| 2025 May 16 | 04h 17m 17s | +20° 08’ 17” | 21.75 | Taurus |
| 2025 May 17 | 04h 19m 37s | +20° 12’ 16” | 21.78 | Taurus |
| 2025 May 18 | 04h 21m 57s | +20° 16’ 06” | 21.80 | Taurus |
| 2025 May 19 | 04h 24m 15s | +20° 19’ 46” | 21.83 | Taurus |
| 2025 May 20 | 04h 26m 33s | +20° 23’ 17” | 21.85 | Taurus |
| 2025 May 21 | 04h 28m 49s | +20° 26’ 41” | 21.87 | Taurus |
| 2025 May 22 | 04h 31m 05s | +20° 29’ 56” | 21.89 | Taurus |
| 2025 May 23 | 04h 33m 19s | +20° 33’ 03” | 21.92 | Taurus |
| 2025 May 24 | 04h 35m 33s | +20° 36’ 00” | 21.94 | Taurus |
| 2025 May 25 | 04h 37m 45s | +20° 38’ 51” | 21.96 | Taurus |
| 2025 May 26 | 04h 39m 57s | +20° 41’ 33” | 21.98 | Taurus |
| 2025 May 27 | 04h 42m 08s | +20° 44’ 07” | 22.00 | Taurus |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 249P/LINEAR: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is Comet 249P/LINEAR?: Key information on locating Comet 249P/LINEAR in the sky.
- Distance from Earth: Find out how far Comet 249P/LINEAR is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet 249P/LINEAR?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Comet 249P/LINEAR's rise and set times from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet 249P/LINEAR's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: high precision position tracker with deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet 249P/LINEAR's computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: information about Comet 249P/LINEAR orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization. 3d interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet 249P/LINEAR with respect to the major Solar System objects.