SpaceAtlas Space Object Data
NASA JPL SBDB · 2017 D5

PANSTARRS

PANSTARRS follows a distinctly cometary orbit: an eccentricity of 0.981 carries it from 2.167 AU at perihelion out to 223.2 AU at aphelion.

comet Observations: 75
Orbital Period · P
1,196 yr
v(q)
28.5 km/s
v(Q)
0.3 km/s
TJ
-1.15
Eccentricity · e
0.9808

Orbit and dynamics

The path is an ellipse reaching 2.167 AU from the Sun at perihelion and 223.2 AU at aphelion, a radial span of 221.1 AU.

Applying Kepler's third law to a = 112.7 AU gives an orbital period of 1,196 yr, or about 436,995 days.

The high eccentricity (0.981) produces a strongly elongated orbit, so the object spends most of its time far from the Sun.

A steep inclination of 131.0° carries it well above and below the ecliptic plane.

By the vis-viva equation its orbital speed rises to 28.5 km/s at perihelion and falls to 0.3 km/s at aphelion.

Its Tisserand parameter with respect to Jupiter is T_J = -1.15, 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 75 observations and has a weighted RMS residual of 0.44 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
112.7 AU
Eccentricity
0.9808
Perihelion
2.167 AU
Aphelion
223.23616 AU
Inclination
131.04°
Orbital Period
— yr
Epoch
2457817.5
Mean Anomaly
0.05°

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
0.43996
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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