Skip to content
Public Universe
Trans-Neptunian object

1996 KX1

Add to an observing list or journal →

(1996 KX1)

Where is it now

Distance from Sun
36.981 AU
True anomaly
52.44°
Distance from Earth
37.422 AU
As of
16 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 1996 KX1 — 36.981 AU from the Sun 1996 KX1
Seen from above the ecliptic, north up, to scale. Grid: Earth's orbit in blue. 1996 KX1 is 37.422 AU from Earth today (5.2 light-hours).

In the sky

Right ascension
17h 44m 33s
Declination
-22° 01′ 33″
Constellation
Sagittarius
Distance from Earth
37.44 AU
Elongation from the Sun
62.18° — well clear of the Sun

Favours the southern hemisphere; low or below the horizon from far north.

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
39.541 AU
Eccentricity
0.097
Inclination
1.47°
Orbital period
248.6 years
Perihelion
35.705 AU
Aphelion
43.377 AU
Longitude of ascending node
197.46°
Argument of periapsis
17.89°
Epoch · J2000
2450227.5
Orbit class · TNO
Trans-Neptunian object
Earth MOID · 13,503.5 LD
34.6981 AU
Tisserand (Jupiter)
5.617

Orbit quality

Orbit very uncertain — the object may be effectively lost (uncertainty code 9).

Observations used
8
Data arc
2 days
First observed
22 May 1996
Last observed
24 May 1996
Residual RMS
0.06 ″
Solution · Otto Matic
14 April 2021

Visual & observation

Absolute magnitude (H)
8.7

Discovery & classification

TNO

Sources