SpaceAtlas Space Object Data
NASA JPL SBDB · 2015 F3

SWAN

SWAN follows a distinctly cometary orbit: an eccentricity of 0.996 carries it from 0.834 AU at perihelion out to 461.0 AU at aphelion.

comet Observations: 316
Orbital Period · P
3,509 yr
v(q)
46.1 km/s
v(Q)
0.1 km/s
TJ
0.35
Eccentricity · e
0.9964

Orbit and dynamics

The path is an ellipse reaching 0.834 AU from the Sun at perihelion and 461.0 AU at aphelion, a radial span of 460.1 AU.

Applying Kepler's third law to a = 230.9 AU gives an orbital period of 3,509 yr, or about 1,281,522 days.

The high eccentricity (0.996) produces a strongly elongated orbit, so the object spends most of its time far from the Sun.

A steep inclination of 73.39° carries it well above and below the ecliptic plane.

By the vis-viva equation its orbital speed rises to 46.1 km/s at perihelion and falls to 0.1 km/s at aphelion.

Because q < 1 AU and Q > 1 AU, this orbit geometrically intersects the region of Earth's orbit.

Its Tisserand parameter with respect to Jupiter is T_J = 0.35, a standard discriminator between asteroidal and cometary dynamics.

Size and surface

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

Observation record and orbit quality

The current orbit solution is based on 316 observations and has a weighted RMS residual of 0.9282 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
230.9 AU
Eccentricity
0.9964
Perihelion
0.834 AU
Aphelion
460.96876 AU
Inclination
73.39°
Orbital Period
— yr
Epoch
2457128.5
Mean Anomaly
0.01°

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
0.92816
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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