Comet 402P/LINEAR
Comet 402P/LINEAR is in the constellation of
Bootes,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
View interactive star map
High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 402P/LINEAR is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 402P/LINEAR?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 402P/LINEAR in the sky and additional links to sky charts.
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 402P/LINEAR from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 402P/LINEAR is above the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Right now it is placed in the East direction at an altitude of 23.05° above the horizon.
- Given its current magnitude, 402P/LINEAR is visible only through long exposure photography.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 402P/LINEAR from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 402P/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 402P/LINEAR from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the Live Position and Data Tracker.
Closest Approach
Between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2099, the closest approach of Comet 402P/LINEAR to Earth happens on Tue Dec 28 2021 at a distance of 3.002068 Astronomical Units, or 449,102,909 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 402P/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 402P/LINEAR at epoch 21 February 2013 00:00 UTC (JD: 2456345.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.43884048 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 30.89464570° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 3.91620473 AU 585,855,891 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
10.04134059 AU 1,502,163,174 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
6.97877266 AU 1,044,009,532 km |
| Orbital period | period |
18.4364 years 6,733.9053 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2021-Dec-09 19:06:20 2,459,558.2961 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2040-May-17 16:49 2,466,292.2014 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 326.98452993264° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 123.13190359498° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 188.24133446935° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.05346081°/day |
View Comet 402P/LINEAR in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 402P/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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 May 13 | 14h 12m 42s | +23° 48’ 33” | 22.05 | Bootes |
| 2025 May 14 | 14h 12m 19s | +23° 48’ 13” | 22.06 | Bootes |
| 2025 May 15 | 14h 11m 56s | +23° 47’ 45” | 22.07 | Bootes |
| 2025 May 16 | 14h 11m 34s | +23° 47’ 12” | 22.07 | Bootes |
| 2025 May 17 | 14h 11m 12s | +23° 46’ 32” | 22.08 | Bootes |
| 2025 May 18 | 14h 10m 50s | +23° 45’ 47” | 22.08 | Bootes |
| 2025 May 19 | 14h 10m 28s | +23° 44’ 55” | 22.09 | Bootes |
| 2025 May 20 | 14h 10m 07s | +23° 43’ 58” | 22.10 | Bootes |
| 2025 May 21 | 14h 09m 46s | +23° 42’ 54” | 22.10 | Bootes |
| 2025 May 22 | 14h 09m 26s | +23° 41’ 44” | 22.11 | Bootes |
| 2025 May 23 | 14h 09m 05s | +23° 40’ 28” | 22.12 | Bootes |
| 2025 May 24 | 14h 08m 45s | +23° 39’ 06” | 22.12 | Bootes |
| 2025 May 25 | 14h 08m 26s | +23° 37’ 39” | 22.13 | Bootes |
| 2025 May 26 | 14h 08m 07s | +23° 36’ 05” | 22.13 | Bootes |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 402P/LINEAR: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is Comet 402P/LINEAR?: Key information on locating Comet 402P/LINEAR in the sky.
- Distance from Earth: Find out how far Comet 402P/LINEAR is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet 402P/LINEAR?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Comet 402P/LINEAR's rise and set times from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet 402P/LINEAR's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: high precision position tracker with deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet 402P/LINEAR's computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: information about Comet 402P/LINEAR orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization. 3d interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet 402P/LINEAR with respect to the major Solar System objects.