Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1
Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 is currently in the constellation of Auriga. The current Right Ascension of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 is 06h 20m 01s and the Declination is +28° 59’ 20” (topocentric coordinates computed for the selected location: Greenwich, United Kingdom [change]). The current estimated magnitude of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 is 15.85 (JPL).
Summary of key facts about Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 [tip: you can also create a Quick Access page for this data if you access it frequently and would like to have a simpler view]:
- 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 is below the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom [change].
- Given its current magnitude, 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 is visible only through long exposure photography.
- See also 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 rise and set times.
- Go to interactive sky chart
If you need to access this information frequently for your observations, you can create a simple customized Quick Access page, so that you can easily bookmark it in your browser favorites or add a shortcut to your mobile phones' home screen.
Additional information about Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 available on TheSkyLive:
Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 Position and Finder Charts
Below we provide Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 finder charts showing where the object is right now in the sky with respect to the brightest stars. The first finder chart has a field of view of 50 degrees, while the second one has a field of view of 10 degrees. Click on each finder chart to access a full screen interactive Online Planetarium.
Field of view: 50x30 degrees
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Field of view: 10x6 degrees
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Higher precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.


Field of view: 60x40 arcmins
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Also check out Where is Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 in the sky and additional links to sky charts.
Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 from Earth is currently 795,811,233 kilometers, equivalent to 5.319670 Astronomical Units. Light takes 44 minutes and 14.5405 seconds to travel from Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 and arrive to us.
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 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 1 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 1 to Earth
Between January 2013 and December 2100, the closest approach of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 to Earth happens on Fri Oct 13 2034 at a distance of 4.725861 Astronomical Units, or 706,978,781 kilometers:
NOTE: values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.
Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 brightness
The current visual magnitude of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 is 15.85.
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 behavior 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.
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 rise and set times
Location: Greenwich, United Kingdom [change]
Latitude: 51° 28’ 47” N
Longitude: 0° 00’ 00” E
Timezone: Europe/London
Today's Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 rise, transit and set times from Greenwich, United Kingdom [change] are the following (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
The rise and set times are defined as the time at which the upper limb of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 touches the horizon, considering the effect of the atmospheric refraction. As the atmospheric conditions cannot be modeled precisely the times reported here should be considered correct with an approximation of few minutes.
Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 at epoch 21 November 2012 00:00 UTC (JD: 2456253.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
Element | Symbol | Value |
---|---|---|
Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.04331538 |
Orbit inclination | i | 9.37559610° |
Perihelion distance | q | 5.74154405 AU 858,922,766 km |
Aphelion distance | Q |
6.26145869 AU 936,700,890 km |
Semi-major axis | a |
6.00150137 AU 897,811,828 km |
Orbital period | period |
14.7027 years 5,370.1732 days |
Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2019-Apr-13 21:42:04 2,458,587.4042 JD |
Next perihelion transit | 2033-Dec-26 01:51 2,463,957.5774 JD |
|
Argument of perihelion | peri | 50.712641683295° |
Longitude of the ascending node | node | 312.5261239642° |
Mean anomaly | M | 203.54219270644° |
Mean motion | n | 0.06703694°/day |
Visualization of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 Orbit
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 15 Days 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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
2023 Jan 31 | 06h 22m 27s | +29° 07’ 44” | 15.82 | Auriga |
2023 Feb 01 | 06h 22m 05s | +29° 06’ 39” | 15.83 | Auriga |
2023 Feb 02 | 06h 21m 44s | +29° 05’ 34” | 15.83 | Auriga |
2023 Feb 03 | 06h 21m 24s | +29° 04’ 27” | 15.83 | Auriga |
2023 Feb 04 | 06h 21m 03s | +29° 03’ 20” | 15.84 | Auriga |
2023 Feb 05 | 06h 20m 44s | +29° 02’ 09” | 15.84 | Auriga |
2023 Feb 06 | 06h 20m 26s | +29° 01’ 00” | 15.85 | Auriga |
2023 Feb 07 | 06h 20m 08s | +28° 59’ 48” | 15.85 | Auriga |
2023 Feb 08 | 06h 19m 50s | +28° 58’ 36” | 15.86 | Auriga |
2023 Feb 09 | 06h 19m 33s | +28° 57’ 24” | 15.86 | Auriga |
2023 Feb 10 | 06h 19m 18s | +28° 56’ 09” | 15.87 | Auriga |
2023 Feb 11 | 06h 19m 02s | +28° 54’ 56” | 15.87 | Auriga |
2023 Feb 12 | 06h 18m 47s | +28° 53’ 39” | 15.88 | Auriga |
2023 Feb 13 | 06h 18m 33s | +28° 52’ 23” | 15.88 | Auriga |