SpaceAtlas Space Object Data
NASA JPL SBDB · 2019 K6

PANSTARRS

PANSTARRS follows a distinctly cometary orbit: an eccentricity of 0.998 carries it from 3.929 AU at perihelion out to 3,222.1 AU at aphelion.

comet Observations: 360
Orbital Period · P
64,782 yr
v(q)
21.2 km/s
v(Q)
0 km/s
TJ
-1.64
Eccentricity · e
0.9976

Orbit and dynamics

The path is an ellipse reaching 3.929 AU from the Sun at perihelion and 3,222.1 AU at aphelion, a radial span of 3,218.2 AU.

Applying Kepler's third law to a = 1,613.0 AU gives an orbital period of 64,782 yr, or about 23,661,473 days.

The high eccentricity (0.998) produces a strongly elongated orbit, so the object spends most of its time far from the Sun.

A steep inclination of 132.4° carries it well above and below the ecliptic plane.

By the vis-viva equation its orbital speed rises to 21.2 km/s at perihelion and falls to 0 km/s at aphelion.

Its Tisserand parameter with respect to Jupiter is T_J = -1.64, 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 360 observations and has a weighted RMS residual of 0.6647 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
1613.0 AU
Eccentricity
0.9976
Perihelion
3.929 AU
Aphelion
3222.1288 AU
Inclination
132.39°
Orbital Period
— yr
Epoch
2458707.5
Mean Anomaly
360.0°

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
0.66473
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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