Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann
Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann is a periodic comet discovered on November 15, 1927 by German astronomers Arnold Schwassmann and Arno Wachmann. It is also known as Comet Schwassmann–Wachmann 1. It moves along a low eccentricity orbit between Jupiter and Saturn, that takes it from a perihelion distance of 5.8 astronomical units (AU) from the Sun to an aphelion distance of 6.3 AU. It completes one orbit around the Sun every 14.9 years. Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann is also known for its unpredictable outbursts which, in the space of few hours, can cause it to brighten significantly, up to 5 magnitudes.
Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann is currently in the constellation of Cancer, at a distance of 913,765,474 kilometers from Earth.
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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.
Today's rise, transit and set times of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann from Greenwich, United Kingdom (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann is above the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom .
- Right now it is placed in the West direction at an altitude of 27° above the horizon.
- Given its current magnitude, 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann is visible with the help of a telescope having an aperture of 10 inches (250mm) or more.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann Position and Finder Charts
Field of view: 10x6 degrees
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Higher precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 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?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann in the sky and additional links to sky charts.
Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann from Earth is currently 913,765,474 kilometers, equivalent to 6.108145 Astronomical Units. Light takes 50 minutes and 47.9935 seconds to travel from Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann and arrive to us.
The following chart shows the distance of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 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 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 to Earth
Between 1 January 2013 and 30 December 2100, the closest approach of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann to Earth happens on Fri Oct 13 2034 at a distance of 4.725860 Astronomical Units, or 706,978,666 kilometers:
NOTE: values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.
Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann Brightness and Light Curve
The following chart is the predicted light curve (visual magnitude as a function of time) of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann, 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 Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann at epoch 31 December 2022 00:00 UTC (JD: 2459945.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.04475336 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 9.36406979° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 5.77653321 AU 864,157,070 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
6.31779504 AU 945,128,688 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
6.04716413 AU 904,642,879 km |
| Orbital period | period |
14.8709 years 5,431.5785 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2019-Apr-19 19:00:43 2,458,593.2922 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2034-Mar-03 08:53 2,464,024.8707 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 50.913318057458° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 312.39414949962° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 89.623084588802° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.06627908°/day |
Visualization of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann Orbit
This 3d orbit diagram is a feature of our 3D Solar System Simulator and shows the orbit of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann with respect of the Sun and the orbits of the major planets. The position of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 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 in the 3D Solar System Simulator
Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 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 in our Online Planetarium at the chosen date.
| Date | Right AscensionR.A. | DeclinationDec. | MagnitudeMag | Constellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Apr 11 | 08h 04m 56s | +21° 04’ 36” | 17.55 | Cancer |
| 2024 Apr 12 | 08h 05m 06s | +21° 03’ 21” | 17.55 | Cancer |
| 2024 Apr 13 | 08h 05m 17s | +21° 02’ 06” | 17.56 | Cancer |
| 2024 Apr 14 | 08h 05m 27s | +21° 00’ 47” | 17.56 | Cancer |
| 2024 Apr 15 | 08h 05m 39s | +20° 59’ 29” | 17.57 | Cancer |
| 2024 Apr 16 | 08h 05m 51s | +20° 58’ 06” | 17.58 | Cancer |
| 2024 Apr 17 | 08h 06m 03s | +20° 56’ 44” | 17.58 | Cancer |
| 2024 Apr 18 | 08h 06m 16s | +20° 55’ 19” | 17.59 | Cancer |
| 2024 Apr 19 | 08h 06m 30s | +20° 53’ 53” | 17.59 | Cancer |
| 2024 Apr 20 | 08h 06m 46s | +20° 52’ 26” | 17.60 | Cancer |
| 2024 Apr 21 | 08h 07m 00s | +20° 50’ 56” | 17.61 | Cancer |
| 2024 Apr 22 | 08h 07m 17s | +20° 49’ 24” | 17.61 | Cancer |
| 2024 Apr 23 | 08h 07m 32s | +20° 47’ 52” | 17.62 | Cancer |
| 2024 Apr 24 | 08h 07m 50s | +20° 46’ 18” | 17.62 | Cancer |