Comet 261P/Larson
Comet 261P/Larson is in the constellation of Capricornus, at a distance of
Finder Charts
The sky charts below show, at different resolutions, the position of comet 261P/Larson in the sky. Click on each chart to access the interactive star map tool.
The following map uses photographic imagery from the Digitized Sky Survey (DSS) to realistically visualize the precise position of comet 261P/Larson against the stars in the background. The horizontal size of the map measures 60 arcminutes. Click on the image to access a more detailed full-screen view.
Equatorial 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
The following table lists today's rise, transit and set times of comet 261P/Larson from General Felipe Ángeles (Los Ángeles), Messico (all times relative to the local timezone America/Mexico_City):
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 graph shows the distance of comet 261P/Larson from Earth as a function of time. In the chart the distance is measured in Astronomical Units and the data is sampled with an interval of 1 day.
Note: The values in this chart may not be entirely accurate around the time of closest approach for objects passing very close to Earth at high speed (e.g., Near-Earth Objects).
The value of the distance of 261P/Larson from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the live position tracker.
Closest Approach to Earth
In the period between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2099, the closest approach of comet 261P/Larson to Earth will happen on Saturday 1 September 2091 at a distance of 1.072410 Astronomical Units, or 160,430,263 kilometers:
Note: the values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.
Light Curve
The following chart shows the light curve of comet 261P/Larson, i.e., its apparent magnitude as a function of time. The curve is calculated using the latest ephemerides provided by JPL Horizons. The magnitude data is sampled with the interval of 2 days. Because of this sampling, inaccuracies may occur for objects that have large variations of brightness over a few days. For comets, large discrepancies can arise between the calculated brightness and the observations due to their highly dynamic, and not always precisely predictable, behavior.
Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of comet 261P/Larson at epoch February, 09 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 | September 30, 2012 2,456,200.6013 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | July 22, 2019 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
The following chart is a 3D animated visualization of the orbit of comet 261P/Larson relative to the other major objects in the Solar System. You can access more advanced features using our 3D Solar System Viewer.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 23 2025 | 20h 28m 29s | -18° 56’ 54” | 18.95 | Capricornus |
| Jun 24 2025 | 20h 28m 07s | -18° 55’ 12” | 18.92 | Capricornus |
| Jun 25 2025 | 20h 27m 44s | -18° 53’ 34” | 18.89 | Capricornus |
| Jun 26 2025 | 20h 27m 19s | -18° 51’ 58” | 18.86 | Capricornus |
| Jun 27 2025 | 20h 26m 53s | -18° 50’ 25” | 18.82 | Capricornus |
| Jun 28 2025 | 20h 26m 25s | -18° 48’ 56” | 18.79 | Capricornus |
| Jun 29 2025 | 20h 25m 56s | -18° 47’ 29” | 18.76 | Capricornus |
| Jun 30 2025 | 20h 25m 25s | -18° 46’ 04” | 18.73 | Capricornus |
| Jul 01 2025 | 20h 24m 53s | -18° 44’ 43” | 18.69 | Capricornus |
| Jul 02 2025 | 20h 24m 20s | -18° 43’ 24” | 18.66 | Capricornus |
| Jul 03 2025 | 20h 23m 45s | -18° 42’ 07” | 18.63 | Capricornus |
| Jul 04 2025 | 20h 23m 09s | -18° 40’ 52” | 18.60 | Capricornus |
| Jul 05 2025 | 20h 22m 31s | -18° 39’ 39” | 18.57 | Capricornus |
| Jul 06 2025 | 20h 21m 53s | -18° 38’ 29” | 18.54 | Capricornus |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 261P/Larson: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is comet 261P/Larson?: Key information on where to find comet 261P/Larson in the sky.
- Distance of comet 261P/Larson 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: Rise and set times of comet 261P/Larson from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: Planetarium-style interactive visualization of comet 261P/Larson's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: High precision real time tracker of comet 261P/Larson's position using 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.