SpaceAtlas Space Object Data
NASA JPL SBDB · 2020 U2

PANSTARRS

PANSTARRS follows a distinctly cometary orbit: an eccentricity of 0.51 carries it from 1.849 AU at perihelion out to 5.705 AU at aphelion.

comet Observations: 301
Orbital Period · P
7.34 yr
v(q)
26.9 km/s
v(Q)
8.7 km/s
TJ
2.83
Eccentricity · e
0.5105

Orbit and dynamics

The path is an ellipse reaching 1.849 AU from the Sun at perihelion and 5.705 AU at aphelion, a radial span of 3.856 AU.

Applying Kepler's third law to a = 3.777 AU gives an orbital period of 7.34 yr, or about 2,681 days.

The high eccentricity (0.51) produces a strongly elongated orbit, so the object spends most of its time far from the Sun.

The orbital plane is tilted 6.42° relative to the ecliptic.

By the vis-viva equation its orbital speed rises to 26.9 km/s at perihelion and falls to 8.7 km/s at aphelion.

Its Tisserand parameter with respect to Jupiter is T_J = 2.83, 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 301 observations and has a weighted RMS residual of 0.6506 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
3.777 AU
Eccentricity
0.5105
Perihelion
1.849 AU
Aphelion
5.705159 AU
Inclination
6.42°
Orbital Period
— yr
Epoch
2459226.5
Mean Anomaly
2.32°

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
0.65057
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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