Skip to content
Public Universe
Trans-Neptunian object

1998 KY61

Add to an observing list or journal →

(1998 KY61)

Where is it now

Distance from Sun
45.986 AU
True anomaly
215.51°
Distance from Earth
45.392 AU
As of
21 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 — 0.995 AU from the Sun Earth 1998 KY61 — 45.986 AU from the Sun 1998 KY61
Seen from above the ecliptic, north up, to scale. Grid: Earth's orbit in blue. 1998 KY61 is 45.392 AU from Earth today (6.3 light-hours).

In the sky

Right ascension
22h 27m 03s
Declination
-10° 54′ 38″
Constellation
Aquarius
Distance from Earth
45.4 AU
Elongation from the Sun
125.76° — 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
44.247 AU
Eccentricity
0.0493
Inclination
2.06°
Orbital period
294.3 years
Perihelion
42.064 AU
Aphelion
46.43 AU
Longitude of ascending node
122.95°
Argument of periapsis
357.05°
Epoch · J2000
2461200.5
Orbit class · TNO
Trans-Neptunian object
Earth MOID · 15,987.0 LD
41.0796 AU
Tisserand (Jupiter)
5.939

Orbit quality

Orbit reasonably well determined (uncertainty code 3).

Observations used
59
Data arc
25.3 years
First observed
20 May 1998
Last observed
6 September 2023
Residual RMS
0.22 ″
Solution · Otto Matic
20 October 2023

Visual & observation

Absolute magnitude (H)
7.29

Discovery & classification

TNO

Sources