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Trans-Neptunian object

73480

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73480 (2002 PN34)

Where is it now

Distance from Sun
29.279 AU
True anomaly
119.83°
Distance from Earth
28.509 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 73480 — 29.279 AU from the Sun 73480
Seen from above the ecliptic, north up, to scale. Grid: Earth's orbit in blue. 73480 is 28.509 AU from Earth today (4.0 light-hours).

In the sky

Right ascension
03h 35m 50s
Declination
+34° 43′ 22″
Constellation
Perseus
Distance from Earth
28.51 AU
Elongation from the Sun
140.23° — 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
30.988 AU
Eccentricity
0.5673
Inclination
16.61°
Orbital period
172.5 years
Perihelion
13.41 AU
Aphelion
48.566 AU
Longitude of ascending node
299.28°
Argument of periapsis
358.59°
Epoch · J2000
2461200.5
Orbit class · TNO
Trans-Neptunian object
Earth MOID · 4,823.2 LD
12.3936 AU
Tisserand (Jupiter)
4.02

Orbit quality

Orbit very well determined (uncertainty code 1).

Observations used
256
Data arc
18.65 years
First observed
12 June 2001
Last observed
5 February 2020
Residual RMS
0.53 ″
Solution · Otto Matic
6 June 2026

Physical properties

Rotation period
8.45 hours

Visual & observation

Absolute magnitude (H)
8.59

Discovery & classification

Discovered by
NEAT
Discovery date
6 August 2002
Discovery site
Palomar

Also known as 2002 PN34

TNO

Sources