Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann

Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann is a periodic comet discovered on November 15, 1927 by German astronomers Arnold Schwassmann and Arno Wachmann. It is also known as Comet Schwassmann–Wachmann 1. It moves along a low eccentricity orbit between Jupiter and Saturn, that takes it from a perihelion distance of 5.8 astronomical units (AU) from the Sun to an aphelion distance of 6.3 AU. It completes one orbit around the Sun every 14.9 years. Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann is also known for its unpredictable outbursts which, in the space of few hours, can cause it to brighten significantly, up to 5 magnitudes.

Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann is currently in the constellation of Gemini. The current Right Ascension of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann is 07h 03m 32s and the Declination is +25° 58’ 10” (topocentric coordinates computed for the selected location: Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt). The current estimated magnitude of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann is 17.86 (JPL).

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.

Today's rise, transit and set times of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann from Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):

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Available Resources

• Position and finder charts (see also Where is Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann?)
• Distance from Earth (see also How far is Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann from Earth?)
• When does Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann rise and set?
• Brightness (see also How bright is Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann?)
• Orbital elements. Detailed information about Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann orbital parameters.
• Interactive orbit visualization. 3d visualization showing the orbit of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann with respect to the major Solar System objects.
• 15 days ephemerides. Table showing celestial coordinates and magnitude of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann for the past and next 7 days.
• Interactive sky chart. An online planetarium application that shows where to locate Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann in the sky from your location.
• Live position tracker. A high precision sky chart that uses real deep sky imagery to help locate Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann with your telescope or on your astrophotographies.

Higher precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.

Also check out Where is Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann in the sky and additional links to sky charts.

Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann Distance from Earth

The distance of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann from Earth is currently 1,045,168,437 kilometers, equivalent to 6.986519 Astronomical Units. Light takes 58 minutes and 6.3066 seconds to travel from Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann and arrive to us.

The following chart shows the distance of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 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 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the Live Position and Data Tracker.

Closest Approach of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann to Earth

Between 1 January 2013 and 30 December 2100, the closest approach of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann to Earth happens on Fri Oct 13 2034 at a distance of 4.725860 Astronomical Units, or 706,978,666 kilometers:

NOTE: values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.

Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann Brightness and Light Curve

The following chart is the predicted light curve (visual magnitude as a function of time) of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann, 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.

Visualization of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann Orbit

This 3d orbit diagram is a feature of our 3D Solar System Simulator and shows the orbit of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann with respect of the Sun and the orbits of the major planets. The position of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 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!

Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 15 Days Ephemeris

The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 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 in our Online Planetarium at the chosen date.

Date	Right AscensionR.A.	DeclinationDec.	MagnitudeMag	Constellation
2023 Jun 01	06h 58m 01s	+26° 11’ 17”	17.84	Gemini
2023 Jun 02	06h 58m 48s	+26° 09’ 29”	17.84	Gemini
2023 Jun 03	06h 59m 35s	+26° 07’ 40”	17.84	Gemini
2023 Jun 04	07h 00m 20s	+26° 05’ 49”	17.85	Gemini
2023 Jun 05	07h 01m 06s	+26° 03’ 59”	17.85	Gemini
2023 Jun 06	07h 01m 54s	+26° 02’ 08”	17.85	Gemini
2023 Jun 07	07h 02m 40s	+26° 00’ 15”	17.85	Gemini
2023 Jun 08	07h 03m 28s	+25° 58’ 23”	17.86	Gemini
2023 Jun 09	07h 04m 14s	+25° 56’ 30”	17.86	Gemini
2023 Jun 10	07h 05m 02s	+25° 54’ 36”	17.86	Gemini
2023 Jun 11	07h 05m 49s	+25° 52’ 41”	17.86	Gemini
2023 Jun 12	07h 06m 38s	+25° 50’ 45”	17.87	Gemini
2023 Jun 13	07h 07m 24s	+25° 48’ 50”	17.87	Gemini
2023 Jun 14	07h 08m 12s	+25° 46’ 53”	17.87	Gemini