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Trans-Neptunian object

2002 AW197

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(55565) 2002 AW197

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2002 AW197 is a trans-Neptunian object in the Trans-Neptunian object orbit class. Its orbit takes it from 41.27 AU to 53.46 AU from the Sun; one orbit takes 326 years. Discovered 10 January 2002 by Palomar. Orbit from the JPL solution of 13 March 2026.

Where is it now

Distance from Sun
44.486 AU
True anomaly
291.51°
Distance from Earth
45.078 AU
As of
25 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 — 0.994 AU from the Sun Earth 2002 AW197 — 44.486 AU from the Sun 2002 AW197
Seen from above the ecliptic, north up, to scale. Grid: Earth's orbit in blue. 2002 AW197 is 45.078 AU from Earth today (6.2 light-hours).

In the sky

Right ascension
10h 25m 42s
Declination
-08° 21′ 56″
Constellation
Sextans
Distance from Earth
45.08 AU
Elongation from the Sun
52.99° — near the Sun — look low at dusk or dawn

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
47.369 AU
Eccentricity
0.1287
Inclination
24.34°
Orbital period
326 years
Perihelion
41.273 AU
Aphelion
53.464 AU
Longitude of ascending node
297.37°
Argument of periapsis
294.15°
Epoch · J2000
2461200.5
Orbit class · TNO
Trans-Neptunian object
Earth MOID · 15,698.4 LD
40.3379 AU
Tisserand (Jupiter)
5.562

Orbit quality

Orbit very well determined (uncertainty code 0).

Observations used
1,262
Data arc
27.98 years
First observed
29 December 1997
Last observed
22 December 2025
Residual RMS
0.48 ″
Solution · Otto Matic
13 March 2026

Physical properties

Rotation period
8.86 hours

Visual & observation

Absolute magnitude (H)
3.44

Discovery & classification

Discovered by
Palomar
Discovery date
10 January 2002
Discovery site
Palomar

Aya is the goddess of the dawn in Akkadian mythology. Aya was the consort of the Sun god, Shamash.

Also known as 55565 · Aya · 55565 Aya (2002 AW197)

Named TNO

Sources