SpaceAtlas Space Object Data
NASA JPL SBDB · 2014 V1

PANSTARRS

PANSTARRS follows a distinctly cometary orbit: an eccentricity of 0.526 carries it from 2.564 AU at perihelion out to 8.264 AU at aphelion.

comet Observations: 42
Orbital Period · P
12.6 yr
v(q)
23 km/s
v(Q)
7.1 km/s
TJ
2.56
Eccentricity · e
0.5265

Orbit and dynamics

The path is an ellipse reaching 2.564 AU from the Sun at perihelion and 8.264 AU at aphelion, a radial span of 5.7 AU.

Applying Kepler's third law to a = 5.414 AU gives an orbital period of 12.6 yr, or about 4,601 days.

The high eccentricity (0.526) produces a strongly elongated orbit, so the object spends most of its time far from the Sun.

A steep inclination of 22.46° carries it well above and below the ecliptic plane.

By the vis-viva equation its orbital speed rises to 23 km/s at perihelion and falls to 7.1 km/s at aphelion.

Its Tisserand parameter with respect to Jupiter is T_J = 2.56, 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 42 observations and has a weighted RMS residual of 0.5727 arcseconds.

Condition code U = 9 signals a poorly constrained orbit, so its future path should be treated as provisional.

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
5.414 AU
Eccentricity
0.5265
Perihelion
2.564 AU
Aphelion
8.264471 AU
Inclination
22.46°
Orbital Period
— yr
Epoch
2456974.5
Mean Anomaly
354.55°

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

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
0.57268
Condition
9
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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