Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1
Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 Sky Charts and Coordinates
This is a simplified sky chart, showing where Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 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
Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 Rise and Set Times
Today's Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 rise, transit and set times from Greenwich, United Kingdom [change]. All times are relative to the local timezone Europe/London.
Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 Orbit Diagram
This 3d orbit diagram is a feature of our 3D Solar System Simulator and shows the orbit of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 with respect of the Sun and the orbits of the major planets. The position of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 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 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 in the 3D Solar System Simulator
Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 computed for the past and next 7 days, with a 24 hours interval. Click on each row of the table to locate Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 in our Online Planetarium at the chosen date.
| Date | MagnitudeMag | Right AscensionR.A. | DeclinationDec. | Constellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 Jun 20 | 14.54 | 21h 41m 26s | -13° 19’ 36” | Capricornus |
| 2017 Jun 21 | 14.53 | 21h 41m 18s | -13° 19’ 23” | Capricornus |
| 2017 Jun 22 | 14.53 | 21h 41m 09s | -13° 19’ 14” | Capricornus |
| 2017 Jun 23 | 14.52 | 21h 40m 59s | -13° 19’ 09” | Capricornus |
| 2017 Jun 24 | 14.52 | 21h 40m 50s | -13° 19’ 05” | Capricornus |
| 2017 Jun 25 | 14.51 | 21h 40m 38s | -13° 19’ 05” | Capricornus |
| 2017 Jun 26 | 14.51 | 21h 40m 27s | -13° 19’ 09” | Capricornus |
| 2017 Jun 27 | 14.50 | 21h 40m 14s | -13° 19’ 14” | Capricornus |
| 2017 Jun 28 | 14.50 | 21h 40m 03s | -13° 19’ 23” | Capricornus |
| 2017 Jun 29 | 14.49 | 21h 39m 48s | -13° 19’ 33” | Capricornus |
| 2017 Jun 30 | 14.49 | 21h 39m 34s | -13° 19’ 48” | Capricornus |
| 2017 Jul 01 | 14.48 | 21h 39m 20s | -13° 20’ 04” | Capricornus |
| 2017 Jul 02 | 14.48 | 21h 39m 06s | -13° 20’ 23” | Capricornus |
| 2017 Jul 03 | 14.47 | 21h 38m 49s | -13° 20’ 45” | Capricornus |
Distance of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 from Earth
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 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 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 is also available as a real time updated value in the Live Position and Data Tracker.
Light Curve of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1
The following chart is the predicted light curve (visual magnitude as a function of time) of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1, 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 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 at epoch 12 December 2008 00:00 UTC (JD: 2454813.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.04498673 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 9.39468652° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 5.71767643 AU 855,352,222 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
6.25634866 AU 935,936,440 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
5.98701255 AU 895,644,331 km |
| Orbital period | period |
14.6500 years 5,350.7379 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2004-Jun-29 16:41:38 2,453,186.1956 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2019-Feb-22 10:24 2,458,536.9335 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 48.120869814419° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 312.63421574471° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 109.48575635101° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.06728044°/day |
| Closest approach to Earth* | 2034-Oct-13 | |
| Distance of closest approach* | 4.72588631 AU 706,982,530 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.