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Trans-Neptunian object

Typhon

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42355 Typhon (2002 CR46)

Where is it now

Distance from Sun
26.934 AU
True anomaly
90.25°
Distance from Earth
27.72 AU
As of
15 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 — 0.997 AU from the Sun Earth Typhon — 26.934 AU from the Sun Typhon
Seen from above the ecliptic, north up, to scale. Grid: Earth's orbit in blue. Typhon is 27.72 AU from Earth today (3.8 light-hours).

In the sky

Right ascension
15h 47m 55s
Declination
-22° 14′ 02″
Constellation
Scorpius
Distance from Earth
27.73 AU
Elongation from the Sun
36.49° — near the Sun — look low at dusk or dawn

Favours the southern hemisphere; low or below the horizon from far north.

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
37.78 AU
Eccentricity
0.5373
Inclination
2.43°
Orbital period
232.2 years
Perihelion
17.479 AU
Aphelion
58.08 AU
Longitude of ascending node
351.83°
Argument of periapsis
158.87°
Epoch · J2000
2461200.5
Orbit class · TNO
Trans-Neptunian object
Earth MOID · 6,417.8 LD
16.4908 AU
Tisserand (Jupiter)
4.679

Orbit quality

Orbit very well determined (uncertainty code 1).

Observations used
515
Data arc
35.5 years
First observed
28 December 1989
Last observed
30 June 2025
Residual RMS
0.48 ″
Solution · Otto Matic
6 June 2026

Physical properties

Mean radius
96 km
Rotation period
5 hours

Visual & observation

Geometric albedo
0.05
Absolute magnitude (H)
7.63

Discovery & classification

Discovered by
NEAT
Discovery date
5 February 2002
Discovery site
Palomar

The secondary object (42355) Typhon I, discovered 2006 Jan. 20 by K. Noll, W. Grundy, D. Stephens and H. Levison using the Hubble Space Telescope, is named Echidna for the mother of all the major monsters in classical Greek mythology. Half nymph and half snake, Echidna lives, immortal, in a deep cave called Arima.

Also known as 42355 · 2002 CR46

Named TNO

Sources