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Trans-Neptunian object

2026 HC17

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(2026 HC17)

Where is it now

Distance from Sun
32.419 AU
True anomaly
350.57°
Distance from Earth
33.293 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 2026 HC17 — 32.419 AU from the Sun 2026 HC17
Seen from above the ecliptic, north up, to scale. Grid: Earth's orbit in blue. 2026 HC17 is 33.293 AU from Earth today (4.6 light-hours).

In the sky

Right ascension
14h 59m 26s
Declination
-26° 51′ 48″
Constellation
Hydra
Distance from Earth
33.3 AU
Elongation from the Sun
27.44° — near the Sun — look low at dusk or dawn

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
39.537 AU
Eccentricity
0.1817
Inclination
13.98°
Orbital period
248.6 years
Perihelion
32.351 AU
Aphelion
46.722 AU
Longitude of ascending node
274.36°
Argument of periapsis
325.11°
Epoch · J2000
2461200.5
Orbit class · TNO
Trans-Neptunian object
Tisserand (Jupiter)
5.392

Orbit quality

Orbit poorly determined (uncertainty code 7).

Observations used
14
Data arc
71 days
First observed
21 April 2026
Last observed
1 July 2026
Residual RMS
0.12 ″

Visual & observation

Absolute magnitude (H)
7.87

Discovery & classification

TNO

Sources