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Trans-Neptunian object

1996 RQ20

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(1996 RQ20)

Where is it now

Distance from Sun
40.569 AU
True anomaly
43.07°
Distance from Earth
39.722 AU
As of
21 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 — 0.995 AU from the Sun Earth 1996 RQ20 — 40.569 AU from the Sun 1996 RQ20
Seen from above the ecliptic, north up, to scale. Grid: Earth's orbit in blue. 1996 RQ20 is 39.722 AU from Earth today (5.5 light-hours).

In the sky

Right ascension
02h 50m 14s
Declination
+39° 32′ 12″
Constellation
Perseus
Distance from Earth
39.72 AU
Elongation from the Sun
147.99° — 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
44.076 AU
Eccentricity
0.1027
Inclination
31.67°
Orbital period
292.6 years
Perihelion
39.551 AU
Aphelion
48.601 AU
Longitude of ascending node
11.56°
Argument of periapsis
1.54°
Epoch · J2000
2461200.5
Orbit class · TNO
Trans-Neptunian object
Earth MOID · 15,002.8 LD
38.5506 AU
Tisserand (Jupiter)
5.046

Orbit quality

Orbit reasonably well determined (uncertainty code 3).

Observations used
55
Data arc
29.29 years
First observed
6 September 1996
Last observed
21 December 2025
Residual RMS
0.52 ″
Solution · Otto Matic
5 June 2026

Visual & observation

Absolute magnitude (H)
7.04

Discovery & classification

TNO

Sources