Comet 261P/Larson
Comet 261P/Larson is in the constellation of
Capricornus,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
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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
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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 |
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 May 22 | 20h 25m 37s | -20° 22’ 35” | 20.12 | Capricornus |
| 2025 May 23 | 20h 26m 06s | -20° 19’ 13” | 20.08 | Capricornus |
| 2025 May 24 | 20h 26m 34s | -20° 15’ 53” | 20.05 | Capricornus |
| 2025 May 25 | 20h 27m 00s | -20° 12’ 37” | 20.01 | Capricornus |
| 2025 May 26 | 20h 27m 25s | -20° 09’ 22” | 19.98 | Capricornus |
| 2025 May 27 | 20h 27m 47s | -20° 06’ 09” | 19.94 | Capricornus |
| 2025 May 28 | 20h 28m 09s | -20° 03’ 01” | 19.90 | Capricornus |
| 2025 May 29 | 20h 28m 30s | -19° 59’ 54” | 19.87 | Capricornus |
| 2025 May 30 | 20h 28m 49s | -19° 56’ 50” | 19.83 | Capricornus |
| 2025 May 31 | 20h 29m 07s | -19° 53’ 49” | 19.80 | Capricornus |
| 2025 Jun 01 | 20h 29m 23s | -19° 50’ 51” | 19.76 | Capricornus |
| 2025 Jun 02 | 20h 29m 38s | -19° 47’ 55” | 19.73 | Capricornus |
| 2025 Jun 03 | 20h 29m 51s | -19° 45’ 03” | 19.69 | Capricornus |
| 2025 Jun 04 | 20h 30m 03s | -19° 42’ 15” | 19.65 | Capricornus |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 261P/Larson: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is Comet 261P/Larson?: Key information on locating Comet 261P/Larson in the sky.
- Distance from Earth: Find out how far Comet 261P/Larson is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet 261P/Larson?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Comet 261P/Larson's rise and set times from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet 261P/Larson's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: high precision position tracker with deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet 261P/Larson's computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: information about Comet 261P/Larson orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization. 3d interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet 261P/Larson with respect to the major Solar System objects.