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Trans-Neptunian object

2006 QL181

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(2006 QL181)

Where is it now

Distance from Sun
39.394 AU
True anomaly
31.1°
Distance from Earth
38.417 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 2006 QL181 — 39.394 AU from the Sun 2006 QL181
Seen from above the ecliptic, north up, to scale. Grid: Earth's orbit in blue. 2006 QL181 is 38.417 AU from Earth today (5.3 light-hours).

In the sky

Right ascension
00h 57m 58s
Declination
+04° 17′ 37″
Constellation
Pisces
Distance from Earth
38.42 AU
Elongation from the Sun
168.11° — near opposition — up most of the night

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
43.139 AU
Eccentricity
0.0986
Inclination
1.86°
Orbital period
283.3 years
Perihelion
38.885 AU
Aphelion
47.394 AU
Longitude of ascending node
81.88°
Argument of periapsis
262.31°
Epoch · J2000
2453970.5
Orbit class · TNO
Trans-Neptunian object
Earth MOID · 14,741.0 LD
37.8777 AU
Tisserand (Jupiter)
5.848

Orbit quality

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

Observations used
3
Data arc
24 hours
First observed
22 August 2006
Last observed
23 August 2006
Residual RMS
0.04 ″
Solution · Otto Matic
14 April 2021

Visual & observation

Absolute magnitude (H)
7.27

Discovery & classification

TNO

Sources