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Trans-Neptunian object

2017 BM231

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(2017 BM231)

Where is it now

Distance from Sun
32.537 AU
True anomaly
35.95°
Distance from Earth
33.352 AU
As of
15 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 — 0.997 AU from the Sun Earth 2017 BM231 — 32.537 AU from the Sun 2017 BM231
Seen from above the ecliptic, north up, to scale. Grid: Earth's orbit in blue. 2017 BM231 is 33.352 AU from Earth today (4.6 light-hours).

In the sky

Right ascension
11h 04m 43s
Declination
-03° 54′ 54″
Constellation
Leo
Distance from Earth
33.35 AU
Elongation from the Sun
35.31° — near the Sun — look low at dusk or dawn

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
36.579 AU
Eccentricity
0.13
Inclination
15°
Orbital period
221.2 years
Perihelion
31.824 AU
Aphelion
41.333 AU
Longitude of ascending node
205.43°
Argument of periapsis
285.47°
Epoch · J2000
2461200.5
Orbit class · TNO
Trans-Neptunian object
Earth MOID · 12,014.1 LD
30.8708 AU
Tisserand (Jupiter)
5.221

Orbit quality

Orbit reasonably well determined (uncertainty code 4).

Observations used
25
Data arc
3.73 years
First observed
22 March 2015
Last observed
12 December 2018
Residual RMS
0.12 ″
Solution · Otto Matic
12 October 2024

Visual & observation

Absolute magnitude (H)
9.39

Discovery & classification

TNO

Sources