Comet 333P/LINEAR
Comet 333P/LINEAR is in the constellation of
Sextans,
at a distance of
View interactive star map
Celestial Coordinates
Apparent
J2000
Additional Information
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.
Rise and Set Times
Today's rise, transit and set times of Comet 333P/LINEAR from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 333P/LINEAR is above the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Right now it is placed in the East-South-East direction at an altitude of 2.87° above the horizon.
- Given its current magnitude, 333P/LINEAR is visible only through long exposure photography.
- 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.
Finder Charts
High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 333P/LINEAR is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 333P/LINEAR?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 333P/LINEAR in the sky and additional links to sky charts.
Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 333P/LINEAR from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 333P/LINEAR 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 333P/LINEAR from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the Live Position and Data Tracker.
Closest Approach
Between 1 January 2013 and 30 December 2100, the closest approach of Comet 333P/LINEAR to Earth happens on Wed Jan 11 2068 at a distance of 0.180167 Astronomical Units, or 26,952,573 kilometers:
NOTE: values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.
Light Curve
The following chart is the predicted light curve (visual magnitude as a function of time) of Comet 333P/LINEAR, 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.
Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of Comet 333P/LINEAR at epoch 07 January 2015 00:00 UTC (JD: 2457030.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.73590688 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 131.87945006° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 1.11543237 AU 166,866,307 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
7.33183335 AU 1,096,826,660 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
4.22363286 AU 631,846,484 km |
| Orbital period | period |
8.6804 years 3,170.4993 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2016-Apr-03 22:31:32 2,457,482.4386 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2024-Dec-08 10:30 2,460,652.9379 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 26.143040644935° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 115.56257647981° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 308.68382888544° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.11354678°/day |
Orbit Visualization
View Comet 333P/LINEAR in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 333P/LINEAR computed for the past and next 7 days, with a 24 hours interval. Apparent celestial coordinates are provided.
| Date | Right AscensionR.A. | DeclinationDec. | MagnitudeMag | Constellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Sep 01 | 10h 00m 00s | -10° 24’ 50” | 18.59 | Sextans |
| 2024 Sep 02 | 10h 00m 47s | -10° 15’ 02” | 18.56 | Sextans |
| 2024 Sep 03 | 10h 01m 34s | -10° 05’ 15” | 18.54 | Sextans |
| 2024 Sep 04 | 10h 02m 21s | -09° 55’ 28” | 18.51 | Sextans |
| 2024 Sep 05 | 10h 03m 08s | -09° 45’ 42” | 18.49 | Sextans |
| 2024 Sep 06 | 10h 03m 55s | -09° 35’ 55” | 18.46 | Sextans |
| 2024 Sep 07 | 10h 04m 42s | -09° 26’ 09” | 18.43 | Sextans |
| 2024 Sep 08 | 10h 05m 29s | -09° 16’ 23” | 18.41 | Sextans |
| 2024 Sep 09 | 10h 06m 16s | -09° 06’ 35” | 18.38 | Sextans |
| 2024 Sep 10 | 10h 07m 04s | -08° 56’ 46” | 18.35 | Sextans |
| 2024 Sep 11 | 10h 07m 51s | -08° 46’ 54” | 18.32 | Sextans |
| 2024 Sep 12 | 10h 08m 38s | -08° 37’ 02” | 18.29 | Sextans |
| 2024 Sep 13 | 10h 09m 25s | -08° 27’ 06” | 18.27 | Sextans |
| 2024 Sep 14 | 10h 10m 13s | -08° 17’ 08” | 18.24 | Sextans |
Additional Resources
- Position and finder charts (see also Where is Comet 333P/LINEAR?)
- Distance from Earth (see also How far is Comet 333P/LINEAR from Earth?)
- When does Comet 333P/LINEAR rise and set?
- Brightness (see also How bright is Comet 333P/LINEAR?)
- Orbital elements. Detailed information about Comet 333P/LINEAR orbital parameters.
- Interactive orbit visualization. 3d visualization showing the orbit of Comet 333P/LINEAR with respect to the major Solar System objects.
- 15 days ephemerides. Table showing celestial coordinates and magnitude of Comet 333P/LINEAR for the past and next 7 days.
- Interactive sky chart. An online planetarium application that shows where to locate Comet 333P/LINEAR in the sky from your location.
- Live position tracker. A high precision sky chart that uses real deep sky imagery to help locate Comet 333P/LINEAR with your telescope or on your astrophotographies.