SpaceAtlas Space Object Data
NASA JPL SBDB · 2012 S4

PANSTARRS

PANSTARRS follows a distinctly cometary orbit: an eccentricity of 1 carries it from 4.349 AU at perihelion out to 483,000 AU at aphelion.

comet Observations: 924
Orbital Period · P
118,679,499 yr
v(q)
20.2 km/s
Eccentricity · e
1.0

Orbit and dynamics

The path is an ellipse reaching 4.349 AU from the Sun at perihelion and 483,000 AU at aphelion, a radial span of 482,996 AU.

Applying Kepler's third law to a = 241,500 AU gives an orbital period of 118,679,499 yr, or about 43,347,686,844 days.

The high eccentricity (1) produces a strongly elongated orbit, so the object spends most of its time far from the Sun.

A steep inclination of 126.5° carries it well above and below the ecliptic plane.

Size and surface

Neither a measured diameter nor a reliable absolute magnitude is available for PANSTARRS, so its physical size remains unconstrained.

Observation record and orbit quality

The current orbit solution is based on 924 observations and has a weighted RMS residual of 0.6054 arcseconds.

About these computed values

Orbital periods, perihelion and aphelion speeds, and diameter estimates on this page are computed by SpaceAtlas from the JPL SBDB orbital elements. They are derived quantities, not values copied from the source catalogue.

Orbital Parameters

Semi-Major Axis
241500.0 AU
Eccentricity
1.0
Perihelion
4.349 AU
Aphelion
483000.0 AU
Inclination
126.54°
Orbital Period
— yr
Epoch
2456406.5
Mean Anomaly
360.0°

3D orbit (interactive)

Drag to rotate; scroll or pinch to zoom. The Sun is at the focus (orange), Earth's orbit is the grey ring at 1 AU, and the red dot marks the object's current position.

Close approaches

No close approaches to Earth are currently on record for this object.

Physical Parameters

Diameter
— km
Albedo
—
Density
— g/cm³
Rotation Period
— h
Absolute Magnitude
—

Orbit Quality

RMS
0.60535
Condition
—
Orbit ID
—
Data source: NASA JPL Small-Body Database . Orbital periods, perihelion and aphelion speeds, and diameter estimates on this page are computed by SpaceAtlas from the JPL SBDB orbital elements. They are derived quantities, not values copied from the source catalogue.

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