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Trans-Neptunian object

1997 QH4

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(1997 QH4)

Where is it now

Distance from Sun
39.604 AU
True anomaly
328.16°
Distance from Earth
38.636 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 1997 QH4 — 39.604 AU from the Sun 1997 QH4
Seen from above the ecliptic, north up, to scale. Grid: Earth's orbit in blue. 1997 QH4 is 38.636 AU from Earth today (5.4 light-hours).

In the sky

Right ascension
02h 05m 20s
Declination
+22° 12′ 05″
Constellation
Aries
Distance from Earth
38.64 AU
Elongation from the Sun
166.31° — near opposition — up most of the night

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
42.874 AU
Eccentricity
0.0874
Inclination
13.19°
Orbital period
280.7 years
Perihelion
39.125 AU
Aphelion
46.623 AU
Longitude of ascending node
355.77°
Argument of periapsis
73.38°
Epoch · J2000
2461200.5
Orbit class · TNO
Trans-Neptunian object
Earth MOID · 14,851.9 LD
38.1628 AU
Tisserand (Jupiter)
5.689

Orbit quality

Orbit reasonably well determined (uncertainty code 4).

Observations used
30
Data arc
17.08 years
First observed
27 August 1997
Last observed
27 September 2014
Residual RMS
0.45 ″
Solution · Otto Matic
14 April 2021

Visual & observation

Absolute magnitude (H)
7

Discovery & classification

TNO

Sources