SpaceAtlas Space Object Data
NASA JPL SBDB · 2014 W4

PANSTARRS

PANSTARRS follows a distinctly cometary orbit: an eccentricity of 0.353 carries it from 4.261 AU at perihelion out to 8.913 AU at aphelion.

comet Observations: 91
Orbital Period · P
16.9 yr
v(q)
16.8 km/s
v(Q)
8 km/s
TJ
2.82
Eccentricity · e
0.3531

Orbit and dynamics

The path is an ellipse reaching 4.261 AU from the Sun at perihelion and 8.913 AU at aphelion, a radial span of 4.652 AU.

Applying Kepler's third law to a = 6.587 AU gives an orbital period of 16.9 yr, or about 6,175 days.

An eccentricity of 0.353 makes the orbit moderately elongated.

The orbital plane is tilted 15.27° relative to the ecliptic.

By the vis-viva equation its orbital speed rises to 16.8 km/s at perihelion and falls to 8 km/s at aphelion.

Its Tisserand parameter with respect to Jupiter is T_J = 2.82, 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 91 observations and has a weighted RMS residual of 0.3195 arcseconds.

Condition code U = 4 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
6.587 AU
Eccentricity
0.3531
Perihelion
4.261 AU
Aphelion
8.91287 AU
Inclination
15.27°
Orbital Period
— yr
Epoch
2457279.5
Mean Anomaly
353.79°

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
0.31954
Condition
4
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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