SpaceAtlas Space Object Data
NASA JPL SBDB · 322P

SOHO

SOHO follows a distinctly cometary orbit: an eccentricity of 0.979 carries it from 0.054 AU at perihelion out to 4.978 AU at aphelion.

comet Observations: 318
Orbital Period · P
3.99 yr
v(q)
180.3 km/s
v(Q)
1.9 km/s
TJ
2.35
Eccentricity · e
0.9787

Orbit and dynamics

The path is an ellipse reaching 0.054 AU from the Sun at perihelion and 4.978 AU at aphelion, a radial span of 4.924 AU.

Applying Kepler's third law to a = 2.516 AU gives an orbital period of 3.99 yr, or about 1,458 days.

The high eccentricity (0.979) produces a strongly elongated orbit, so the object spends most of its time far from the Sun.

The orbital plane is tilted 12.59° relative to the ecliptic.

By the vis-viva equation its orbital speed rises to 180.3 km/s at perihelion and falls to 1.9 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 = 2.35, a standard discriminator between asteroidal and cometary dynamics.

Size and surface

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

Observation record and orbit quality

The current orbit solution is based on 318 observations and has a weighted RMS residual of 0.4415 arcseconds.

Condition code U = 2 means the orbit is very well determined, leaving only a small uncertainty in the future ephemeris.

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
2.516 AU
Eccentricity
0.9787
Perihelion
0.054 AU
Aphelion
4.978409 AU
Inclination
12.59°
Orbital Period
— yr
Epoch
2457179.5
Mean Anomaly
337.76°

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
0.44155
Condition
2
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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