Skip to content
Public Universe
Trans-Neptunian object

2020 VT40

Add to an observing list or journal →

(2020 VT40)

Where is it now

Distance from Sun
29.019 AU
True anomaly
305.7°
Distance from Earth
28.31 AU
As of
17 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 2020 VT40 — 29.019 AU from the Sun 2020 VT40
Seen from above the ecliptic, north up, to scale. Grid: Earth's orbit in blue. 2020 VT40 is 28.31 AU from Earth today (3.9 light-hours).

In the sky

Right ascension
04h 27m 42s
Declination
-01° 02′ 29″
Constellation
Eridanus
Distance from Earth
28.31 AU
Elongation from the Sun
134.74° — well clear of the Sun

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
39.798 AU
Eccentricity
0.3495
Inclination
29.89°
Orbital period
251.1 years
Perihelion
25.889 AU
Aphelion
53.707 AU
Longitude of ascending node
199.11°
Argument of periapsis
282.8°
Epoch · J2000
2461200.5
Orbit class · TNO
Trans-Neptunian object
Earth MOID · 9,742.2 LD
25.0332 AU
Tisserand (Jupiter)
4.624

Orbit quality

Orbit very well determined (uncertainty code 2).

Observations used
33
Data arc
8.99 years
First observed
5 November 2013
Last observed
31 October 2022
Residual RMS
0.52 ″
Solution · Otto Matic
1 August 2025

Visual & observation

Absolute magnitude (H)
8.99

Discovery & classification

TNO

Sources