Skip to content
Public Universe
Trans-Neptunian object

120178

Add to an observing list or journal →

120178 (2003 OP32)

Where is it now

Distance from Sun
43.181 AU
True anomaly
96.63°
Distance from Earth
42.395 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 120178 — 43.181 AU from the Sun 120178
Seen from above the ecliptic, north up, to scale. Grid: Earth's orbit in blue. 120178 is 42.395 AU from Earth today (5.9 light-hours).

In the sky

Right ascension
23h 07m 02s
Declination
+01° 56′ 12″
Constellation
Pisces
Distance from Earth
42.4 AU
Elongation from the Sun
141.27° — 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
43.129 AU
Eccentricity
0.1039
Inclination
27.17°
Orbital period
283.2 years
Perihelion
38.649 AU
Aphelion
47.608 AU
Longitude of ascending node
183°
Argument of periapsis
68.15°
Epoch · J2000
2461200.5
Orbit class · TNO
Trans-Neptunian object
Earth MOID · 14,684.6 LD
37.733 AU
Tisserand (Jupiter)
5.215

Orbit quality

Orbit very well determined (uncertainty code 0).

Observations used
1,478
Data arc
35.49 years
First observed
21 July 1990
Last observed
16 January 2026
Residual RMS
0.53 ″
Solution · Otto Matic
20 August 2026

Physical properties

Rotation period
9.71 hours

Visual & observation

Absolute magnitude (H)
3.94

Discovery & classification

Discovered by
Brown, M. E., Trujillo, C. A., Rabinowitz, D. L.
Discovery date
26 July 2003
Discovery site
Palomar

Also known as 2003 OP32

TNO

Sources