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Trans-Neptunian object

2002 MS4

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(307261) 2002 MS4

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Where is it now

Distance from Sun
45.964 AU
True anomaly
219.08°
Distance from Earth
46.048 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 2002 MS4 — 45.964 AU from the Sun 2002 MS4
Seen from above the ecliptic, north up, to scale. Grid: Earth's orbit in blue. 2002 MS4 is 46.048 AU from Earth today (6.4 light-hours).

In the sky

Right ascension
19h 11m 42s
Declination
-05° 16′ 45″
Constellation
Aquila
Distance from Earth
46.06 AU
Elongation from the Sun
83.7° — 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
41.589 AU
Eccentricity
0.1483
Inclination
17.7°
Orbital period
268.2 years
Perihelion
35.422 AU
Aphelion
47.755 AU
Longitude of ascending node
216.14°
Argument of periapsis
215.48°
Epoch · J2000
2461200.5
Orbit class · TNO
Trans-Neptunian object
Earth MOID · 13,407.7 LD
34.4517 AU
Tisserand (Jupiter)
5.452

Orbit quality

Orbit very well determined (uncertainty code 1).

Observations used
496
Data arc
69.23 years
First observed
8 April 1954
Last observed
3 July 2023
Residual RMS
0.62 ″
Solution · Otto Matic
14 March 2026

Visual & observation

Absolute magnitude (H)
3.64

Discovery & classification

Discovered by
Trujillo, C. A., Brown, M. E.
Discovery date
18 June 2002
Discovery site
Palomar

Máni is a personification of the Moon from Old Norse as described in the <i>Prose Edda</i>. Máni is the son of Mundilfari and the brother of Sól, the Sun.

Also known as 307261 · Mani · Máni · 307261 Mani (2002 MS4)

Named TNO

Sources