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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 Apr 16 | 15.10 | 22h 52m 10s | -03° 31’ 06” | Aquarius |
| 2018 Apr 17 | 15.09 | 22h 52m 49s | -03° 26’ 14” | Aquarius |
| 2018 Apr 18 | 15.09 | 22h 53m 26s | -03° 21’ 24” | Aquarius |
| 2018 Apr 19 | 15.08 | 22h 54m 03s | -03° 16’ 33” | Pisces |
| 2018 Apr 20 | 15.08 | 22h 54m 41s | -03° 11’ 44” | Pisces |
| 2018 Apr 21 | 15.08 | 22h 55m 17s | -03° 06’ 56” | Pisces |
| 2018 Apr 22 | 15.07 | 22h 55m 53s | -03° 02’ 09” | Pisces |
| 2018 Apr 23 | 15.07 | 22h 56m 29s | -02° 57’ 24” | Pisces |
| 2018 Apr 24 | 15.06 | 22h 57m 05s | -02° 52’ 41” | Pisces |
| 2018 Apr 25 | 15.06 | 22h 57m 39s | -02° 47’ 57” | Pisces |
| 2018 Apr 26 | 15.06 | 22h 58m 14s | -02° 43’ 15” | Pisces |
| 2018 Apr 27 | 15.05 | 22h 58m 50s | -02° 38’ 35” | Pisces |
| 2018 Apr 28 | 15.05 | 22h 59m 23s | -02° 33’ 56” | Pisces |
| 2018 Apr 29 | 15.04 | 22h 59m 57s | -02° 29’ 18” | Pisces |
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 07 August 2009 00:00 UTC (JD: 2455051.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.04513579 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 9.39421852° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 5.71771424 AU 855,357,877 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
6.25825927 AU 936,222,263 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
5.98798675 AU 895,790,070 km |
| Orbital period | period |
14.6500 years 5,352.0440 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2004-Jul-04 18:42:06 2,453,191.2792 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2019-Feb-28 19:45 2,458,543.3232 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 48.4603644262° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 312.63454158834° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 125.12592882832° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.06726402°/day |
| Closest approach to Earth* | 2034-Oct-13 | |
| Distance of closest approach* | 4.72586034 AU 706,978,645 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.