Comet 61P/Shajn-Schaldach
Comet 61P/Shajn-Schaldach is in the constellation of
Leo,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
View interactive star map
High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 61P/Shajn-Schaldach is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet 61P/Shajn-Schaldach?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 61P/Shajn-Schaldach 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 61P/Shajn-Schaldach from Tilehurst, United Kingdom (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 61P/Shajn-Schaldach is above the horizon from Tilehurst, United Kingdom.
- Right now it is placed in the East direction at an altitude of 7.23° above the horizon.
- Given its current magnitude, 61P/Shajn-Schaldach 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.
Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 61P/Shajn-Schaldach from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 61P/Shajn-Schaldach 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 61P/Shajn-Schaldach 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 61P/Shajn-Schaldach to Earth happens on Tue Oct 4 2050 at a distance of 1.037695 Astronomical Units, or 155,236,965 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 61P/Shajn-Schaldach, 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 61P/Shajn-Schaldach at epoch 29 September 2022 00:00 UTC (JD: 2459852.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.42420483 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 6.00052492° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 2.12586238 AU 318,024,486 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
5.25823011 AU 786,620,029 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
3.69204624 AU 552,322,258 km |
| Orbital period | period |
7.0943 years 2,591.1892 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2022-Oct-23 19:34:06 2,459,876.3154 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2029-Nov-27 00:06 2,462,467.5046 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 221.65697381257° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 162.96850642532° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 356.69127667972° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.13893235°/day |
View Comet 61P/Shajn-Schaldach in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 61P/Shajn-Schaldach 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 22 | 11h 30m 31s | +05° 29’ 38” | 24.23 | Leo |
| 2025 May 23 | 11h 30m 32s | +05° 29’ 33” | 24.24 | Leo |
| 2025 May 24 | 11h 30m 33s | +05° 29’ 24” | 24.25 | Leo |
| 2025 May 25 | 11h 30m 36s | +05° 29’ 09” | 24.26 | Leo |
| 2025 May 26 | 11h 30m 39s | +05° 28’ 50” | 24.27 | Leo |
| 2025 May 27 | 11h 30m 43s | +05° 28’ 26” | 24.28 | Leo |
| 2025 May 28 | 11h 30m 48s | +05° 27’ 57” | 24.29 | Leo |
| 2025 May 29 | 11h 30m 53s | +05° 27’ 23” | 24.30 | Leo |
| 2025 May 30 | 11h 31m 00s | +05° 26’ 44” | 24.31 | Leo |
| 2025 May 31 | 11h 31m 07s | +05° 26’ 01” | 24.32 | Leo |
| 2025 Jun 01 | 11h 31m 14s | +05° 25’ 13” | 24.33 | Leo |
| 2025 Jun 02 | 11h 31m 22s | +05° 24’ 20” | 24.34 | Leo |
| 2025 Jun 03 | 11h 31m 31s | +05° 23’ 23” | 24.35 | Leo |
| 2025 Jun 04 | 11h 31m 41s | +05° 22’ 22” | 24.36 | Leo |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Comet 61P/Shajn-Schaldach: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is Comet 61P/Shajn-Schaldach?: Key information on locating Comet 61P/Shajn-Schaldach in the sky.
- Distance from Earth: Find out how far Comet 61P/Shajn-Schaldach is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Comet 61P/Shajn-Schaldach?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Comet 61P/Shajn-Schaldach's rise and set times from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: planetarium-style interactive visualization of Comet 61P/Shajn-Schaldach's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: high precision position tracker with deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Comet 61P/Shajn-Schaldach's computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: information about Comet 61P/Shajn-Schaldach orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization. 3d interactive visualization showing the orbit of Comet 61P/Shajn-Schaldach with respect to the major Solar System objects.