SpaceAtlas Space Object Data
NASA JPL SBDB · 2020 Q2

PANSTARRS

PANSTARRS follows a distinctly cometary orbit: an eccentricity of 0.506 carries it from 5.399 AU at perihelion out to 16.441 AU at aphelion.

comet Observations: 49
Orbital Period · P
36.1 yr
v(q)
15.7 km/s
v(Q)
5.2 km/s
TJ
2.97
Eccentricity · e
0.5056

Orbit and dynamics

The path is an ellipse reaching 5.399 AU from the Sun at perihelion and 16.441 AU at aphelion, a radial span of 11.042 AU.

Applying Kepler's third law to a = 10.92 AU gives an orbital period of 36.1 yr, or about 13,180 days.

The high eccentricity (0.506) produces a strongly elongated orbit, so the object spends most of its time far from the Sun.

Its inclination of 3.31° keeps it close to the plane of the ecliptic.

By the vis-viva equation its orbital speed rises to 15.7 km/s at perihelion and falls to 5.2 km/s at aphelion.

Its Tisserand parameter with respect to Jupiter is T_J = 2.97, 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 49 observations and has a weighted RMS residual of 0.4002 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
10.92 AU
Eccentricity
0.5056
Perihelion
5.399 AU
Aphelion
16.441152 AU
Inclination
3.31°
Orbital Period
— yr
Epoch
2459098.5
Mean Anomaly
5.81°

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
0.40025
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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