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Trans-Neptunian object

26308

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26308 (1998 SM165)

26308 is a trans-Neptunian object in the Trans-Neptunian object orbit class. Its orbit takes it from 30.16 AU to 65.49 AU from the Sun; one orbit takes 330.7 years. Discovered 16 September 1998 by Danzl, N.. Orbit from the JPL solution of 14 December 2024.

Where is it now

Distance from Sun
43.881 AU
True anomaly
99.17°
Distance from Earth
42.968 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 26308 — 43.881 AU from the Sun 26308
Seen from above the ecliptic, north up, to scale. Grid: Earth's orbit in blue. 26308 is 42.968 AU from Earth today (6.0 light-hours).

In the sky

Right ascension
03h 35m 29s
Declination
+08° 20′ 58″
Constellation
Taurus
Distance from Earth
42.96 AU
Elongation from the Sun
157.03° — 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
47.824 AU
Eccentricity
0.3694
Inclination
13.5°
Orbital period
330.7 years
Perihelion
30.159 AU
Aphelion
65.489 AU
Longitude of ascending node
183.15°
Argument of periapsis
131.6°
Epoch · J2000
2461200.5
Orbit class · TNO
Trans-Neptunian object
Earth MOID · 11,348.6 LD
29.1608 AU
Tisserand (Jupiter)
5.588

Orbit quality

Orbit very well determined (uncertainty code 2).

Observations used
378
Data arc
42.11 years
First observed
12 October 1982
Last observed
22 November 2024
Residual RMS
0.59 ″
Solution · Otto Matic
14 December 2024

Physical properties

Rotation period
7.98 hours

Visual & observation

Absolute magnitude (H)
5.77

Discovery & classification

Discovered by
Danzl, N.
Discovery date
16 September 1998
Discovery site
Kitt Peak

Also known as 1998 SM165

TNO

Sources