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Trans-Neptunian object

2006 QP181

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(2006 QP181)

Where is it now

Distance from Sun
37.106 AU
True anomaly
32.96°
Distance from Earth
36.161 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 2006 QP181 — 37.106 AU from the Sun 2006 QP181
Seen from above the ecliptic, north up, to scale. Grid: Earth's orbit in blue. 2006 QP181 is 36.161 AU from Earth today (5.0 light-hours).

In the sky

Right ascension
01h 18m 45s
Declination
-09° 30′ 32″
Constellation
Cetus
Distance from Earth
36.16 AU
Elongation from the Sun
161.31° — 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
38.488 AU
Eccentricity
0.0422
Inclination
26.67°
Orbital period
238.8 years
Perihelion
36.865 AU
Aphelion
40.111 AU
Longitude of ascending node
159.74°
Argument of periapsis
185.07°
Epoch · J2000
2453970.5
Orbit class · TNO
Trans-Neptunian object
Earth MOID · 13,954.7 LD
35.8574 AU
Tisserand (Jupiter)
4.992

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
0.12 ″
Solution · Otto Matic
14 April 2021

Visual & observation

Absolute magnitude (H)
7

Discovery & classification

TNO

Sources