SpaceAtlas Space Object Data
NASA JPL SBDB · 2013 W1

PANSTARRS

PANSTARRS follows a distinctly cometary orbit: an eccentricity of 0.594 carries it from 1.416 AU at perihelion out to 5.556 AU at aphelion.

comet Observations: 105
Orbital Period · P
6.51 yr
v(q)
31.6 km/s
v(Q)
8.1 km/s
TJ
2.81
Eccentricity · e
0.5939

Orbit and dynamics

The path is an ellipse reaching 1.416 AU from the Sun at perihelion and 5.556 AU at aphelion, a radial span of 4.14 AU.

Applying Kepler's third law to a = 3.486 AU gives an orbital period of 6.51 yr, or about 2,377 days.

The high eccentricity (0.594) produces a strongly elongated orbit, so the object spends most of its time far from the Sun.

Its inclination of 4.7° keeps it close to the plane of the ecliptic.

By the vis-viva equation its orbital speed rises to 31.6 km/s at perihelion and falls to 8.1 km/s at aphelion.

Its Tisserand parameter with respect to Jupiter is T_J = 2.81, a standard discriminator between asteroidal and cometary dynamics.

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 105 observations and has a weighted RMS residual of 0.626 arcseconds.

Condition code U = 5 indicates a moderately constrained orbit; predictions decades ahead still carry noticeable uncertainty.

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
3.486 AU
Eccentricity
0.5939
Perihelion
1.416 AU
Aphelion
5.556335 AU
Inclination
4.7°
Orbital Period
— yr
Epoch
2456648.5
Mean Anomaly
348.46°

Orbit diagram

The Sun sits at the focus (orange). Earth's orbit is the grey circle at 1 AU. The red dot marks the object's position at the catalog epoch.

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

Predicted close approaches to Earth, from NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS).

Date (UTC)Miss distanceVelocity
2053-Feb-04 05:19 0.460436 AU
68880274 km
3.03 km/s

Distances in astronomical units (AU) and kilometres. Source: NASA/JPL CNEOS Close Approach Data API.

Physical Parameters

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

Orbit Quality

RMS
0.62602
Condition
5
Orbit ID
—
Data source: NASA JPL Small-Body Database · NASA CNEOS. 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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