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Trans-Neptunian object

79983

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79983 (1999 DF9)

79983 is a trans-Neptunian object in the Trans-Neptunian object orbit class. Its orbit takes it from 39.73 AU to 53.25 AU from the Sun; one orbit takes 317 years. Discovered 20 February 1999 by Luu, J. X., Trujillo, C. A., Jewitt, D. C.. Orbit from the JPL solution of 17 April 2024.

Where is it now

Distance from Sun
41.048 AU
True anomaly
41.68°
Distance from Earth
41.987 AU
As of
24 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 79983 — 41.048 AU from the Sun 79983
Seen from above the ecliptic, north up, to scale. Grid: Earth's orbit in blue. 79983 is 41.987 AU from Earth today (5.8 light-hours).

In the sky

Right ascension
12h 39m 06s
Declination
-10° 39′ 28″
Constellation
Virgo
Distance from Earth
41.98 AU
Elongation from the Sun
19.66° — too close to the Sun to observe

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
46.487 AU
Eccentricity
0.1454
Inclination
9.81°
Orbital period
317 years
Perihelion
39.729 AU
Aphelion
53.245 AU
Longitude of ascending node
334.78°
Argument of periapsis
176.67°
Epoch · J2000
2461200.5
Orbit class · TNO
Trans-Neptunian object
Earth MOID · 15,076.8 LD
38.7406 AU
Tisserand (Jupiter)
5.94

Orbit quality

Orbit very well determined (uncertainty code 2).

Observations used
236
Data arc
24.99 years
First observed
20 February 1999
Last observed
15 February 2024
Residual RMS
0.51 ″
Solution · Otto Matic
17 April 2024

Physical properties

Rotation period
6.65 hours

Visual & observation

Absolute magnitude (H)
6.08

Discovery & classification

Discovered by
Luu, J. X., Trujillo, C. A., Jewitt, D. C.
Discovery date
20 February 1999
Discovery site
Kitt Peak

Also known as 1999 DF9

TNO

Sources