Comet 261P/Larson
Comet 261P/Larson 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 261P/Larson is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.


Also check out Where is Comet 261P/Larson?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 261P/Larson 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 261P/Larson from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 261P/Larson is below the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Given its current magnitude, 261P/Larson 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.
Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 261P/Larson from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 261P/Larson 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 261P/Larson 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 261P/Larson to Earth happens on Sat Sep 1 2091 at a distance of 1.072410 Astronomical Units, or 160,430,263 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 261P/Larson, 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 261P/Larson at epoch 09 February 2014 00:00 UTC (JD: 2456698.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
Element | Symbol | Value |
---|---|---|
Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.39187691 |
Orbit inclination | i | 6.33654627° |
Perihelion distance | q | 2.18415099 AU 326,744,338 km |
Aphelion distance | Q |
4.99910192 AU 747,855,004 km |
Semi-major axis | a |
3.59162646 AU 537,299,671 km |
Orbital period | period |
6.8068 years 2,486.1949 days |
Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2012-Sep-30 02:25:52 2,456,200.6013 JD |
Next perihelion transit | 2019-Jul-22 07:06 2,458,686.7962 JD |
|
Argument of perihelion | peri | 58.97020034636° |
Longitude of the ascending node | node | 298.42573157465° |
Mean anomaly | M | 72.095526584882° |
Mean motion | n | 0.14479959°/day |
Orbit Visualization
View Comet 261P/Larson in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 261P/Larson 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 Jan 31 | 18h 08m 51s | -25° 59’ 36” | 23.52 | Sagittarius |
2025 Feb 01 | 18h 10m 28s | -25° 58’ 46” | 23.49 | Sagittarius |
2025 Feb 02 | 18h 12m 04s | -25° 57’ 53” | 23.47 | Sagittarius |
2025 Feb 03 | 18h 13m 40s | -25° 56’ 56” | 23.45 | Sagittarius |
2025 Feb 04 | 18h 15m 17s | -25° 55’ 56” | 23.42 | Sagittarius |
2025 Feb 05 | 18h 16m 52s | -25° 54’ 52” | 23.40 | Sagittarius |
2025 Feb 06 | 18h 18m 28s | -25° 53’ 45” | 23.37 | Sagittarius |
2025 Feb 07 | 18h 20m 04s | -25° 52’ 34” | 23.35 | Sagittarius |
2025 Feb 08 | 18h 21m 39s | -25° 51’ 20” | 23.32 | Sagittarius |
2025 Feb 09 | 18h 23m 15s | -25° 50’ 01” | 23.30 | Sagittarius |
2025 Feb 10 | 18h 24m 50s | -25° 48’ 40” | 23.27 | Sagittarius |
2025 Feb 11 | 18h 26m 25s | -25° 47’ 15” | 23.25 | Sagittarius |
2025 Feb 12 | 18h 28m 00s | -25° 45’ 46” | 23.22 | Sagittarius |
2025 Feb 13 | 18h 29m 34s | -25° 44’ 15” | 23.20 | Sagittarius |
Additional Resources
- Position and finder charts (see also Where is Comet 261P/Larson?)
- Distance from Earth (see also How far is Comet 261P/Larson from Earth?)
- When does Comet 261P/Larson rise and set?
- Brightness (see also How bright is Comet 261P/Larson?)
- Orbital elements. Detailed information about Comet 261P/Larson orbital parameters.
- Interactive orbit visualization. 3d visualization showing the orbit of Comet 261P/Larson with respect to the major Solar System objects.
- 15 days ephemerides. Table showing celestial coordinates and magnitude of Comet 261P/Larson for the past and next 7 days.
- Interactive sky chart. An online planetarium application that shows where to locate Comet 261P/Larson in the sky from your location.
- Live position tracker. A high precision sky chart that uses real deep sky imagery to help locate Comet 261P/Larson with your telescope or on your astrophotographies.