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Trans-Neptunian object

2001 XE255

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(2001 XE255)

Where is it now

Distance from Sun
43.496 AU
True anomaly
314.58°
Distance from Earth
43.842 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 2001 XE255 — 43.496 AU from the Sun 2001 XE255
Seen from above the ecliptic, north up, to scale. Grid: Earth's orbit in blue. 2001 XE255 is 43.842 AU from Earth today (6.1 light-hours).

In the sky

Right ascension
09h 25m 49s
Declination
+20° 24′ 04″
Constellation
Leo
Distance from Earth
43.83 AU
Elongation from the Sun
70.01° — 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
43.498 AU
Eccentricity
0
Inclination
10.25°
Orbital period
286.9 years
Perihelion
43.496 AU
Aphelion
43.499 AU
Longitude of ascending node
106.85°
Argument of periapsis
75.12°
Epoch · J2000
2452270.5
Orbit class · TNO
Trans-Neptunian object
Earth MOID · 16,533.1 LD
42.4826 AU
Tisserand (Jupiter)
5.81

Orbit quality

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

Observations used
4
Data arc
36 days
First observed
9 December 2001
Last observed
14 January 2002
Residual RMS
0.05 ″
Solution · Otto Matic
14 April 2021

Visual & observation

Absolute magnitude (H)
7.86

Discovery & classification

TNO

Sources