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 | Right AscensionR.A. | DeclinationDec. | MagnitudeMag | Constellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 Aug 09 | 23h 14m 39s | +01° 32’ 08” | 14.49 | Pisces |
| 2018 Aug 10 | 23h 14m 17s | +01° 31’ 24” | 14.48 | Pisces |
| 2018 Aug 11 | 23h 13m 58s | +01° 30’ 38” | 14.48 | Pisces |
| 2018 Aug 12 | 23h 13m 36s | +01° 29’ 48” | 14.48 | Pisces |
| 2018 Aug 13 | 23h 13m 14s | +01° 28’ 54” | 14.47 | Pisces |
| 2018 Aug 14 | 23h 12m 52s | +01° 27’ 57” | 14.47 | Pisces |
| 2018 Aug 15 | 23h 12m 30s | +01° 26’ 57” | 14.47 | Pisces |
| 2018 Aug 16 | 23h 12m 07s | +01° 25’ 53” | 14.46 | Pisces |
| 2018 Aug 17 | 23h 11m 44s | +01° 24’ 46” | 14.46 | Pisces |
| 2018 Aug 18 | 23h 11m 21s | +01° 23’ 35” | 14.46 | Pisces |
| 2018 Aug 19 | 23h 10m 58s | +01° 22’ 19” | 14.45 | Pisces |
| 2018 Aug 20 | 23h 10m 33s | +01° 21’ 02” | 14.45 | Pisces |
| 2018 Aug 21 | 23h 10m 09s | +01° 19’ 42” | 14.45 | Pisces |
| 2018 Aug 22 | 23h 09m 45s | +01° 18’ 19” | 14.45 | 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 17 August 2009 00:00 UTC (JD: 2455061.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.04513750 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 9.39413873° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 5.71778094 AU 855,367,855 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
6.25835376 AU 936,236,398 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
5.98806735 AU 895,802,126 km |
| Orbital period | period |
14.6500 years 5,352.1520 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2004-Jul-05 02:32:59 2,453,191.6062 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2019-Mar-01 06:11 2,458,543.7583 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 48.483409461527° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 312.63455709818° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 125.77403421274° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.06726266°/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.