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Trans-Neptunian object

19255

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19255 (1994 VK8)

Where is it now

Distance from Sun
42.641 AU
True anomaly
284.95°
Distance from Earth
42.408 AU
As of
19 October 2026

Two-body Kepler propagation — accurate to ~0.1% for major planets over decades, less so for highly-perturbed bodies. Use JPL Horizons for high precision.

Sun Earth — 0.996 AU from the Sun Earth 19255 — 42.641 AU from the Sun 19255
Seen from above the ecliptic, north up, to scale. Grid: Earth's orbit in blue. 19255 is 42.408 AU from Earth today (5.9 light-hours).

In the sky

Right ascension
06h 58m 50s
Declination
+23° 29′ 49″
Constellation
Gemini
Distance from Earth
42.4 AU
Elongation from the Sun
103.22° — well clear of the Sun

Favours the northern hemisphere; low or below the horizon from far south.

From your location

See how high it is right now, whether it is up after civil twilight, and when it rises and sets where you are.

How do I find my coordinates?

Google Maps on a computer

  1. Right-click the spot where you'll be observing.
  2. The first line of the menu is the coordinates, e.g. 51.50722, -0.12758 — click it and they're copied.
  3. Paste them above.

Google Maps on a phone

  1. Press and hold the spot to drop a pin.
  2. The coordinates appear in the search bar (or on the pin's card) — tap to copy, then paste above.

A full Google Maps link works too, but the short maps.app.goo.gl share links don't carry coordinates — copy the numbers instead. We round to about a kilometre; that's all the sky calculation needs.

Know your what3words address? Paste it, e.g. ///filled.count.soap. This is optional — the three words are sent to what3words to convert them, and we don't store the address or the result.

Your location stays in your browser and is sent only for this calculation. Using a what3words address is optional; if you do, the three words go to what3words to be converted and we don't record them. Set a location first, then you can save an email alert for this object. See our privacy policy.

Two-body approximation, good to about a degree for the planets — enough to find the constellation and know whether it is up.

Orbital elements

Semi-major axis
43.077 AU
Eccentricity
0.0349
Inclination
1.49°
Orbital period
282.7 years
Perihelion
41.574 AU
Aphelion
44.58 AU
Longitude of ascending node
72.38°
Argument of periapsis
104.84°
Epoch · J2000
2461200.5
Orbit class · TNO
Trans-Neptunian object
Earth MOID · 15,792.5 LD
40.5796 AU
Tisserand (Jupiter)
5.87

Orbit quality

Orbit reasonably well determined (uncertainty code 4).

Observations used
68
Data arc
30.05 years
First observed
24 December 1995
Last observed
11 January 2026
Residual RMS
0.63 ″
Solution · Otto Matic
5 June 2026

Physical properties

Rotation period
4.7 hours

Visual & observation

Absolute magnitude (H)
6.97

Discovery & classification

Discovered by
Fitzsimmons, A., O'Ceallaigh, D., Williams, I. P.
Discovery date
8 November 1994
Discovery site
La Palma

Also known as 1994 VK8

TNO

Sources