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 Aug 15 | 14.37 | 21h 21m 15s | -14° 06’ 19” | Aquarius |
| 2017 Aug 16 | 14.37 | 21h 20m 45s | -14° 07’ 40” | Aquarius |
| 2017 Aug 17 | 14.37 | 21h 20m 17s | -14° 09’ 02” | Aquarius |
| 2017 Aug 18 | 14.37 | 21h 19m 50s | -14° 10’ 23” | Aquarius |
| 2017 Aug 19 | 14.37 | 21h 19m 22s | -14° 11’ 43” | Aquarius |
| 2017 Aug 20 | 14.37 | 21h 18m 54s | -14° 13’ 02” | Aquarius |
| 2017 Aug 21 | 14.37 | 21h 18m 25s | -14° 14’ 22” | Aquarius |
| 2017 Aug 22 | 14.38 | 21h 17m 57s | -14° 15’ 42” | Aquarius |
| 2017 Aug 23 | 14.38 | 21h 17m 30s | -14° 16’ 59” | Aquarius |
| 2017 Aug 24 | 14.38 | 21h 17m 03s | -14° 18’ 16” | Aquarius |
| 2017 Aug 25 | 14.38 | 21h 16m 36s | -14° 19’ 32” | Aquarius |
| 2017 Aug 26 | 14.38 | 21h 16m 09s | -14° 20’ 48” | Aquarius |
| 2017 Aug 27 | 14.38 | 21h 15m 42s | -14° 22’ 01” | Aquarius |
| 2017 Aug 28 | 14.39 | 21h 15m 16s | -14° 23’ 16” | Aquarius |
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 15 January 2009 00:00 UTC (JD: 2454847.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.04500095 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 9.39459564° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 5.71780743 AU 855,371,819 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
6.25667032 AU 935,984,559 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
5.98723888 AU 895,678,189 km |
| Orbital period | period |
14.6500 years 5,351.0413 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2004-Jun-30 12:48:14 2,453,187.0335 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2019-Feb-23 13:47 2,458,538.0748 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 48.179688869915° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 312.63437717279° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 111.71058140158° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.06727662°/day |
| Closest approach to Earth* | 2034-Oct-13 | |
| Distance of closest approach* | 4.72582006 AU 706,972,619 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.