Comet 294P/LINEAR
Comet 294P/LINEAR Sky Charts and Coordinates
This is a simplified sky chart, showing where Comet 294P/LINEAR is now with respect to the brightest stars and constellations.
More advanced sky charts are available on TheSkyLive for this object: 1) the Online Planetarium which is interactive and allows to select dates and additional objects to visualize; and 2) the Live Position and Data Tracker which provides the highest precision position data and features deep sky imagery from the Digitized Sky Survey.
High Precision Live Sky Chart
The Observed Magnitude and Coma Diameter values are derived from the Comet Observers Database by averaging the values reported in recent observations (more recent than 4 days), when available. The Estimated Magnitude comes from the JPL Horizons ephemerides service and might be inaccurate given the highly dynamic and unpredictable behvior of comets. When available please refer to the Observed Magnitude value and consider the Estimated 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.
Comet 294P/LINEAR Rise and Set Times
Comet 294P/LINEAR is circumpolar from Greenwich, United Kingdom [change] and transits at 01:55 UTC (altitude: 81.7°)
Comet 294P/LINEAR Orbit Diagram
This 3d orbit diagram is a feature of our 3D Solar System Simulator and shows the orbit of Comet 294P/LINEAR with respect of the Sun and the orbits of the major planets. The position of Comet 294P/LINEAR and the planets along their orbits in this diagram accurately represents the current configuration of the objects in the Solar System. This is an experimental feature and it requires a WebGL enabled browser. Please provide us feedback!
View Comet 294P/LINEAR in the 3D Solar System Simulator
Comet 294P/LINEAR Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 294P/LINEAR computed for the past and next 7 days, with a 24 hours interval. Click on each row of the table to locate Comet 294P/LINEAR in our Online Planetarium at the chosen date.
| Date | Right AscensionR.A. | DeclinationDec. | MagnitudeMag | Constellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 Oct 10 | 03h 42m 23s | +42° 51’ 44” | 26.81 | Perseus |
| 2018 Oct 11 | 03h 41m 48s | +42° 55’ 12” | 26.79 | Perseus |
| 2018 Oct 12 | 03h 41m 12s | +42° 58’ 32” | 26.77 | Perseus |
| 2018 Oct 13 | 03h 40m 33s | +43° 01’ 44” | 26.75 | Perseus |
| 2018 Oct 14 | 03h 39m 55s | +43° 04’ 46” | 26.73 | Perseus |
| 2018 Oct 15 | 03h 39m 14s | +43° 07’ 42” | 26.71 | Perseus |
| 2018 Oct 16 | 03h 38m 30s | +43° 10’ 28” | 26.69 | Perseus |
| 2018 Oct 17 | 03h 37m 46s | +43° 13’ 06” | 26.67 | Perseus |
| 2018 Oct 18 | 03h 37m 01s | +43° 15’ 35” | 26.65 | Perseus |
| 2018 Oct 19 | 03h 36m 15s | +43° 17’ 54” | 26.63 | Perseus |
| 2018 Oct 20 | 03h 35m 26s | +43° 20’ 03” | 26.62 | Perseus |
| 2018 Oct 21 | 03h 34m 36s | +43° 22’ 04” | 26.60 | Perseus |
| 2018 Oct 22 | 03h 33m 44s | +43° 23’ 53” | 26.58 | Perseus |
| 2018 Oct 23 | 03h 32m 52s | +43° 25’ 32” | 26.56 | Perseus |
Distance of Comet 294P/LINEAR from Earth
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 294P/LINEAR from Earth as a function of time. Distance data is measured in Astronomical Units and sampled with a 2 days interval.
The reported distances might be inaccurate around the times of closest approach for objects passing extremely close to Earth. The value of the distance of 294P/LINEAR is also available as a real time updated value in the Live Position and Data Tracker.
Light Curve of Comet 294P/LINEAR
The following chart is the predicted light curve (visual magnitude as a function of time) of Comet 294P/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.
Comet 294P/LINEAR Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of Comet 294P/LINEAR at epoch 07 December 2009 00:00 UTC (JD: 2455173.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.59451593 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 19.08579830° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 1.29773465 AU 194,138,341 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
5.10318098 AU 763,425,010 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
3.20045782 AU 478,781,676 km |
| Orbital period | period |
5.7300 years 2,091.3012 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2008-Jun-13 20:01:52 2,454,631.3346 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2014-Mar-06 03:15 2,456,722.6358 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 233.26951818576° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 315.44332067748° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 93.329230401559° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.17214163°/day |
| Closest approach to Earth* | 2048-Mar-04 | |
| Distance of closest approach* | 0.34483160 AU 51,586,074 km |
|
* NOTE: values for the closest approach are computed for the time interval between 2013-Jan-01 and 2075-Dec-31, with a sampling interval of 1 day.