Comet 255P/Levy
Comet 255P/Levy is in the constellation of
Sagittarius,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
View interactive star map
High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 255P/Levy is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 255P/Levy?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 255P/Levy 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 255P/Levy from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 255P/Levy is above the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Right now it is placed in the South-South-East direction at an altitude of 15.06° above the horizon.
- Given its current magnitude, 255P/Levy is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 255P/Levy from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 255P/Levy 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 255P/Levy 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 255P/Levy to Earth happens on Thu Jan 26 2012 at a distance of 0.235914 Astronomical Units, or 35,292,281 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 255P/Levy, 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 255P/Levy at epoch 21 December 2007 00:00 UTC (JD: 2454456.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.67200978 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 18.33304279° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 0.99201756 AU 148,403,715 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
5.05705042 AU 756,523,976 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
3.02453399 AU 452,463,845 km |
| Orbital period | period |
5.2601 years 1,921.2600 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2006-Oct-07 09:13:57 2,454,015.8847 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2012-Jan-10 15:28 2,455,937.1446 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 179.59295524389° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 279.78004827491° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 82.561190982814° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.18737704°/day |
View Comet 255P/Levy in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 255P/Levy 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 18 | 19h 43m 28s | -18° 55’ 39” | 41.35 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 19 | 19h 43m 10s | -18° 55’ 11” | 41.34 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 20 | 19h 42m 52s | -18° 54’ 45” | 41.33 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 21 | 19h 42m 32s | -18° 54’ 22” | 41.33 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 22 | 19h 42m 12s | -18° 53’ 59” | 41.32 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 23 | 19h 41m 51s | -18° 53’ 39” | 41.31 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 24 | 19h 41m 29s | -18° 53’ 21” | 41.30 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 25 | 19h 41m 06s | -18° 53’ 05” | 41.29 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 26 | 19h 40m 42s | -18° 52’ 50” | 41.28 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 27 | 19h 40m 17s | -18° 52’ 38” | 41.27 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 28 | 19h 39m 52s | -18° 52’ 28” | 41.27 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 29 | 19h 39m 26s | -18° 52’ 19” | 41.26 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 30 | 19h 38m 58s | -18° 52’ 12” | 41.25 | Sagittarius |
| 2025 May 31 | 19h 38m 30s | -18° 52’ 07” | 41.24 | Sagittarius |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 255P/Levy: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is Comet 255P/Levy?: Key information on locating Comet 255P/Levy in the sky.
- Distance from Earth: Find out how far Comet 255P/Levy is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet 255P/Levy?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Comet 255P/Levy's rise and set times from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet 255P/Levy's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: high precision position tracker with deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet 255P/Levy's computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: information about Comet 255P/Levy orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization. 3d interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet 255P/Levy with respect to the major Solar System objects.