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Trans-Neptunian object

2016 SN56

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(2016 SN56)

Where is it now

Distance from Sun
42.844 AU
True anomaly
278.12°
Distance from Earth
41.905 AU
As of
22 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 2016 SN56 — 42.844 AU from the Sun 2016 SN56
Seen from above the ecliptic, north up, to scale. Grid: Earth's orbit in blue. 2016 SN56 is 41.905 AU from Earth today (5.8 light-hours).

In the sky

Right ascension
03h 08m 40s
Declination
+10° 09′ 10″
Constellation
Cetus
Distance from Earth
41.9 AU
Elongation from the Sun
161.2° — 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
45.932 AU
Eccentricity
0.2017
Inclination
26.64°
Orbital period
311.3 years
Perihelion
36.669 AU
Aphelion
55.195 AU
Longitude of ascending node
61.44°
Argument of periapsis
66°
Epoch · J2000
2461200.5
Orbit class · TNO
Trans-Neptunian object
Earth MOID · 13,921.8 LD
35.7728 AU
Tisserand (Jupiter)
5.316

Orbit quality

Orbit reasonably well determined (uncertainty code 4).

Observations used
31
Data arc
4.24 years
First observed
19 August 2014
Last observed
16 November 2018
Residual RMS
0.16 ″
Solution · Otto Matic
11 March 2026

Visual & observation

Absolute magnitude (H)
7.21

Discovery & classification

TNO

Sources