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Trans-Neptunian object

55638

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55638 (2002 VE95)

Where is it now

Distance from Sun
31.892 AU
True anomaly
62.12°
Distance from Earth
31.834 AU
As of
17 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 55638 — 31.892 AU from the Sun 55638
Seen from above the ecliptic, north up, to scale. Grid: Earth's orbit in blue. 55638 is 31.834 AU from Earth today (4.4 light-hours).

In the sky

Right ascension
07h 23m 56s
Declination
+05° 30′ 33″
Constellation
Canis Minor
Distance from Earth
31.83 AU
Elongation from the Sun
92.46° — well clear of the Sun

Visible from both hemispheres.

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
39.623 AU
Eccentricity
0.2919
Inclination
16.33°
Orbital period
249.4 years
Perihelion
28.055 AU
Aphelion
51.19 AU
Longitude of ascending node
199.78°
Argument of periapsis
208.03°
Epoch · J2000
2461200.5
Orbit class · TNO
Trans-Neptunian object
Earth MOID · 10,536.1 LD
27.073 AU
Tisserand (Jupiter)
5.197

Orbit quality

Orbit very well determined (uncertainty code 2).

Observations used
431
Data arc
33.33 years
First observed
12 October 1990
Last observed
11 February 2024
Residual RMS
0.33 ″
Solution · Otto Matic
2 July 2025

Physical properties

Rotation period
6.76 hours

Visual & observation

Absolute magnitude (H)
5.59

Discovery & classification

Discovered by
NEAT
Discovery date
14 November 2002
Discovery site
Palomar

Also known as 2002 VE95

TNO

Sources