Comet 138P/Shoemaker-Levy 7 is an object whose orbit features a relatively short period, low inclination, and is controlled by Jupiter's gravitational effects. NASA JPL has not classified 138P/Shoemaker-Levy 7 as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.
138P/Shoemaker-Levy 7 orbits the sun every 2,520 days (6.90 years), coming as close as 1.71 AU and reaching as far as 5.55 AU from the sun.
138P/Shoemaker-Levy 7's orbit is 0.75 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is a very wide berth between this asteroid and Earth at all times.
Orbital simulations conducted by NASA JPL's CNEOS do not show any close approaches to Earth.
138P/Shoemaker-Levy 7's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Nov. 13, 1991. It was last officially observed on Aug. 8, 2018. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 100 observations used to determine its orbit.
The position of 138P/Shoemaker-Levy 7 is indicated by a ◯ pink circle. Note that the object may not be in your current field of view. Use the controls below to adjust position, location, and time.