Comet 252P/LINEAR
Comet 252P/LINEAR is in the constellation of
Pisces,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
View interactive star map
High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 252P/LINEAR is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 252P/LINEAR?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 252P/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 252P/LINEAR from Houghton Lake, United States (all times relative to the local timezone America/Detroit):
- 252P/LINEAR is above the horizon from Houghton Lake, United States.
- Right now it is placed in the West-South-West direction at an altitude of 33.96° above the horizon.
- Given its current magnitude, 252P/LINEAR is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 252P/LINEAR from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 252P/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 252P/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 252P/LINEAR to Earth happens on Tue Mar 22 2016 at a distance of 0.035735 Astronomical Units, or 5,345,817 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 252P/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 252P/LINEAR at epoch 12 June 2016 00:00 UTC (JD: 2457552.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.67308502 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 10.42219597° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 0.99604590 AU 149,006,346 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
5.09756221 AU 762,584,455 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
3.04680406 AU 455,795,400 km |
| Orbital period | period |
5.3183 years 1,942.5187 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2016-Mar-15 06:19:30 2,457,462.7635 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2021-Jul-09 18:46 2,459,405.2823 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 343.31047464389° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 190.94849576985° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 16.630533941618° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.18532640°/day |
View Comet 252P/LINEAR in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 252P/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 28 | 01h 43m 45s | +09° 27’ 32” | 30.39 | Pisces |
| 2025 May 29 | 01h 44m 35s | +09° 31’ 23” | 30.38 | Pisces |
| 2025 May 30 | 01h 45m 24s | +09° 35’ 13” | 30.37 | Pisces |
| 2025 May 31 | 01h 46m 13s | +09° 38’ 59” | 30.36 | Pisces |
| 2025 Jun 01 | 01h 47m 02s | +09° 42’ 44” | 30.34 | Pisces |
| 2025 Jun 02 | 01h 47m 50s | +09° 46’ 26” | 30.33 | Pisces |
| 2025 Jun 03 | 01h 48m 39s | +09° 50’ 06” | 30.32 | Pisces |
| 2025 Jun 04 | 01h 49m 27s | +09° 53’ 45” | 30.31 | Pisces |
| 2025 Jun 05 | 01h 50m 15s | +09° 57’ 21” | 30.29 | Pisces |
| 2025 Jun 06 | 01h 51m 03s | +10° 00’ 54” | 30.28 | Pisces |
| 2025 Jun 07 | 01h 51m 50s | +10° 04’ 25” | 30.27 | Pisces |
| 2025 Jun 08 | 01h 52m 38s | +10° 07’ 54” | 30.25 | Pisces |
| 2025 Jun 09 | 01h 53m 25s | +10° 11’ 21” | 30.24 | Pisces |
| 2025 Jun 10 | 01h 54m 13s | +10° 14’ 45” | 30.23 | Pisces |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 252P/LINEAR: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is Comet 252P/LINEAR?: Key information on locating Comet 252P/LINEAR in the sky.
- Distance from Earth: Find out how far Comet 252P/LINEAR is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet 252P/LINEAR?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Comet 252P/LINEAR's rise and set times from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet 252P/LINEAR's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: high precision position tracker with deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet 252P/LINEAR's computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: information about Comet 252P/LINEAR orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization. 3d interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet 252P/LINEAR with respect to the major Solar System objects.