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Trans-Neptunian object

2021 NS71

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(2021 NS71)

Where is it now

Distance from Sun
54.772 AU
True anomaly
165.62°
Distance from Earth
54.835 AU
As of
15 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 2021 NS71 — 54.772 AU from the Sun 2021 NS71
Seen from above the ecliptic, north up, to scale. Grid: Earth's orbit in blue. 2021 NS71 is 54.835 AU from Earth today (7.6 light-hours).

In the sky

Right ascension
19h 18m 40s
Declination
-21° 39′ 13″
Constellation
Sagittarius
Distance from Earth
54.85 AU
Elongation from the Sun
85.06° — 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
37.359 AU
Eccentricity
0.9054
Inclination
20.38°
Orbital period
228.3 years
Perihelion
3.535 AU
Aphelion
71.183 AU
Longitude of ascending node
110.75°
Argument of periapsis
12.79°
Epoch · J2000
2459431.5
Orbit class · TNO
Trans-Neptunian object
Earth MOID · 993.5 LD
2.553 AU
Tisserand (Jupiter)
2.272

Orbit quality

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

Observations used
6
Data arc
62 days
First observed
5 July 2021
Last observed
5 September 2021
Residual RMS
0.07 ″
Solution · Otto Matic
9 March 2023

Visual & observation

Absolute magnitude (H)
8.1

Discovery & classification

TNO

Sources