SpaceAtlas Space Object Data
NASA JPL SBDB · 364P

PANSTARRS

PANSTARRS follows a distinctly cometary orbit: an eccentricity of 0.723 carries it from 0.799 AU at perihelion out to 4.958 AU at aphelion.

comet Observations: 1,487
Orbital Period · P
4.88 yr
v(q)
43.7 km/s
v(Q)
7 km/s
TJ
2.81
Eccentricity · e
0.7226

Orbit and dynamics

The path is an ellipse reaching 0.799 AU from the Sun at perihelion and 4.958 AU at aphelion, a radial span of 4.159 AU.

Applying Kepler's third law to a = 2.878 AU gives an orbital period of 4.88 yr, or about 1,783 days.

The high eccentricity (0.723) produces a strongly elongated orbit, so the object spends most of its time far from the Sun.

The orbital plane is tilted 12.15° relative to the ecliptic.

By the vis-viva equation its orbital speed rises to 43.7 km/s at perihelion and falls to 7 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 = 2.81, 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 1,487 observations and has a weighted RMS residual of 0.6125 arcseconds.

Condition code U = 0 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
2.878 AU
Eccentricity
0.7226
Perihelion
0.799 AU
Aphelion
4.957643 AU
Inclination
12.15°
Orbital Period
— yr
Epoch
2458898.5
Mean Anomaly
122.02°

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
0.6125
Condition
0
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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