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Trans-Neptunian object

2006 QK181

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(2006 QK181)

Where is it now

Distance from Sun
38.263 AU
True anomaly
33.01°
Distance from Earth
37.295 AU
As of
19 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 2006 QK181 — 38.263 AU from the Sun 2006 QK181
Seen from above the ecliptic, north up, to scale. Grid: Earth's orbit in blue. 2006 QK181 is 37.295 AU from Earth today (5.2 light-hours).

In the sky

Right ascension
01h 07m 34s
Declination
-01° 28′ 57″
Constellation
Cetus
Distance from Earth
37.3 AU
Elongation from the Sun
166° — near opposition — up most of the night

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
42.907 AU
Eccentricity
0.1241
Inclination
19.62°
Orbital period
281.1 years
Perihelion
37.581 AU
Aphelion
48.233 AU
Longitude of ascending node
172.7°
Argument of periapsis
170.83°
Epoch · J2000
2453999.5
Orbit class · TNO
Trans-Neptunian object
Earth MOID · 14,233.6 LD
36.5741 AU
Tisserand (Jupiter)
5.489

Orbit quality

Orbit very uncertain — the object may be effectively lost (uncertainty code 9).

Observations used
6
Data arc
59 days
First observed
22 August 2006
Last observed
20 October 2006
Residual RMS
0.22 ″
Solution · Otto Matic
14 April 2021

Visual & observation

Absolute magnitude (H)
7.33

Discovery & classification

TNO

Sources