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Trans-Neptunian object

2015 VM173

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(2015 VM173)

Where is it now

Distance from Sun
45.78 AU
True anomaly
140.83°
Distance from Earth
44.957 AU
As of
21 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 — 0.995 AU from the Sun Earth 2015 VM173 — 45.78 AU from the Sun 2015 VM173
Seen from above the ecliptic, north up, to scale. Grid: Earth's orbit in blue. 2015 VM173 is 44.957 AU from Earth today (6.2 light-hours).

In the sky

Right ascension
04h 05m 15s
Declination
+18° 40′ 15″
Constellation
Taurus
Distance from Earth
44.96 AU
Elongation from the Sun
145.52° — 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
44.144 AU
Eccentricity
0.0491
Inclination
2.43°
Orbital period
293.3 years
Perihelion
41.978 AU
Aphelion
46.31 AU
Longitude of ascending node
183.63°
Argument of periapsis
97.78°
Epoch · J2000
2461200.5
Orbit class · TNO
Trans-Neptunian object
Earth MOID · 15,941.4 LD
40.9623 AU
Tisserand (Jupiter)
5.931

Orbit quality

Orbit reasonably well determined (uncertainty code 4).

Observations used
44
Data arc
10.12 years
First observed
17 November 2014
Last observed
31 December 2024
Residual RMS
0.09 ″
Solution · Otto Matic
11 February 2025

Visual & observation

Absolute magnitude (H)
6.33

Discovery & classification

TNO

Sources