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Trans-Neptunian object

2002 AP217

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(2002 AP217)

Where is it now

Distance from Sun
40.89 AU
True anomaly
330.3°
Distance from Earth
41.141 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 2002 AP217 — 40.89 AU from the Sun 2002 AP217
Seen from above the ecliptic, north up, to scale. Grid: Earth's orbit in blue. 2002 AP217 is 41.141 AU from Earth today (5.7 light-hours).

In the sky

Right ascension
09h 04m 12s
Declination
+16° 42′ 40″
Constellation
Cancer
Distance from Earth
41.12 AU
Elongation from the Sun
75.7° — 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
44.907 AU
Eccentricity
0.1004
Inclination
0.06°
Orbital period
300.9 years
Perihelion
40.4 AU
Aphelion
49.414 AU
Longitude of ascending node
280.12°
Argument of periapsis
241.82°
Epoch · J2000
2452284.5
Orbit class · TNO
Trans-Neptunian object
Earth MOID · 15,336.7 LD
39.4085 AU
Tisserand (Jupiter)
5.962

Orbit quality

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

Observations used
6
Data arc
24 hours
First observed
10 January 2002
Last observed
11 January 2002
Residual RMS
0.09 ″
Solution · Otto Matic
31 July 2025

Visual & observation

Absolute magnitude (H)
7.34

Discovery & classification

TNO

Sources