Skip to content
Public Universe
Trans-Neptunian object

620502

Add to an observing list or journal →

620502 (2004 HP79)

620502 is a trans-Neptunian object in the Trans-Neptunian object orbit class. Its orbit takes it from 38.84 AU to 56.03 AU from the Sun; one orbit takes 326.7 years. Discovered 26 April 2004 by CFHT Legacy Survey. Orbit from the JPL solution of 7 October 2026.

Where is it now

Distance from Sun
38.926 AU
True anomaly
9.89°
Distance from Earth
39.776 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 620502 — 38.926 AU from the Sun 620502
Seen from above the ecliptic, north up, to scale. Grid: Earth's orbit in blue. 620502 is 39.776 AU from Earth today (5.5 light-hours).

In the sky

Right ascension
16h 06m 05s
Declination
-18° 45′ 15″
Constellation
Scorpius
Distance from Earth
39.78 AU
Elongation from the Sun
30.75° — 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
47.432 AU
Eccentricity
0.1812
Inclination
2.25°
Orbital period
326.7 years
Perihelion
38.837 AU
Aphelion
56.026 AU
Longitude of ascending node
174.01°
Argument of periapsis
60°
Epoch · J2000
2461200.5
Orbit class · TNO
Trans-Neptunian object
Earth MOID · 14,721.2 LD
37.8269 AU
Tisserand (Jupiter)
6.044

Orbit quality

Orbit reasonably well determined (uncertainty code 3).

Observations used
34
Data arc
21.23 years
First observed
26 April 2004
Last observed
18 July 2025
Residual RMS
0.41 ″
Solution · Otto Matic
7 October 2026

Physical properties

Rotation period
3 hours

Visual & observation

Absolute magnitude (H)
6.59

Discovery & classification

Discovered by
CFHT Legacy Survey
Discovery date
26 April 2004
Discovery site
Maunakea

Also known as 2004 HP79

TNO

Sources