(307261) 2002 MS4
ephemeris	date	magn	radius	delta	ra	dec	elong	phase
Today	18 Jan 2025	20.4	46.123 AU	47.052 AU	19h10m	-05°48'	19.0°	0.4°
Opposition	10 Jul 2025	20.3	46.080 AU	45.108 AU	19h11m	-05°00'	162.7°	0.4°

The interactive orbit chart above shows the body's path through the solar system and its position at the given date. Green and blue lines are shown perpendicular to the ecliptic plane: Green if the path is above the ecliptic plane, blue if it is below. (Left-click and drag to rotate the view; Right-click and drag to move the view; Use scroll wheel to zoom in our out.)

The orbital elements of 2002 MS4 are:

            e (Eccentricity)                : 0.1484472
            a (Semimajor axis)              : 41.6602018
            i (Inclination)                 : 17.71045
            Ω (Longitude of ascending node) : 216.25601
            ω (Argument of perihelion)      : 214.36984
            M (Mean anomaly)                : 229.35932
            Epoch                           : 2024 Oct 17

            L (Longitude of perihelion)     : 249.34133
            B (Latitude of perihelion)      : -9.88869
            P (Orbital period in years)     : 268.89            
        

The light curve chart below shows the estimated development of the minor planet's magnitude.

The all-sky chart below shows the path of the minor planet over the same period as the light curve. The current position is marked yellow.

The following chart shows the path of the minor planet in the next few days. The field of view is optimized for (~10x50) binoculars and finderscopes. A more printer-friendly version of the same chart can be found below.

Ephemerides:

Date       Time       RA (2000)    DEC (2000)    delta   radius  elong  phase   PA    magn
2025-01-18 00:00 UT   19 10 09.4   -05 48 26    47.052   46.123   19.0    0.4   322   20.4 
2025-01-18 06:47 UT   19 10 11.0   -05 48 22    47.051   46.123   19.2    0.4   321   20.4 
2025-01-19 00:00 UT   19 10 15.0   -05 48 11    47.049   46.123   19.5    0.4   320   20.4 
2025-01-20 00:00 UT   19 10 20.7   -05 47 55    47.046   46.122   20.1    0.4   317   20.4 
2025-01-21 00:00 UT   19 10 26.3   -05 47 39    47.042   46.122   20.6    0.4   315   20.4 
2025-01-22 00:00 UT   19 10 31.9   -05 47 23    47.038   46.122   21.2    0.4   313   20.4 
2025-01-23 00:00 UT   19 10 37.5   -05 47 06    47.034   46.122   21.9    0.5   310   20.4 
2025-01-24 00:00 UT   19 10 43.1   -05 46 49    47.029   46.121   22.5    0.5   308   20.4 
2025-01-25 00:00 UT   19 10 48.6   -05 46 32    47.024   46.121   23.2    0.5   307   20.4 
2025-01-26 00:00 UT   19 10 54.1   -05 46 14    47.019   46.121   23.9    0.5   305   20.4 
2025-01-27 00:00 UT   19 10 59.6   -05 45 56    47.014   46.121   24.6    0.5   303   20.4 
2025-01-28 00:00 UT   19 11 05.1   -05 45 37    47.009   46.120   25.4    0.5   302   20.4 
2025-01-29 00:00 UT   19 11 10.5   -05 45 19    47.003   46.120   26.1    0.5   300   20.4 
2025-01-30 00:00 UT   19 11 15.9   -05 44 60    46.997   46.120   26.9    0.6   299   20.4 
2025-01-31 00:00 UT   19 11 21.2   -05 44 40    46.990   46.120   27.7    0.6   297   20.4 
2025-02-01 00:00 UT   19 11 26.6   -05 44 21    46.984   46.119   28.4    0.6   296   20.4 
2025-02-02 00:00 UT   19 11 31.8   -05 44 01    46.977   46.119   29.2    0.6   295   20.4 
2025-02-03 00:00 UT   19 11 37.1   -05 43 41    46.970   46.119   30.1    0.6   294   20.4 
2025-02-04 00:00 UT   19 11 42.3   -05 43 20    46.962   46.119   30.9    0.6   292   20.4 
2025-02-05 00:00 UT   19 11 47.5   -05 42 60    46.954   46.118   31.7    0.6   291   20.4 
2025-02-06 00:00 UT   19 11 52.6   -05 42 39    46.947   46.118   32.5    0.7   290   20.4 
2025-02-07 00:00 UT   19 11 57.6   -05 42 17    46.938   46.118   33.4    0.7   289   20.4 
2025-02-08 00:00 UT   19 12 02.7   -05 41 56    46.930   46.118   34.2    0.7   289   20.4 
2025-02-09 00:00 UT   19 12 07.7   -05 41 34    46.921   46.117   35.1    0.7   288   20.4 
2025-02-10 00:00 UT   19 12 12.6   -05 41 12    46.912   46.117   36.0    0.7   287   20.4 
2025-02-11 00:00 UT   19 12 17.5   -05 40 50    46.903   46.117   36.8    0.7   286   20.4 
2025-02-12 00:00 UT   19 12 22.3   -05 40 28    46.894   46.117   37.7    0.8   285   20.4 
2025-02-13 00:00 UT   19 12 27.1   -05 40 05    46.884   46.117   38.6    0.8   285   20.4 
2025-02-14 00:00 UT   19 12 31.8   -05 39 42    46.874   46.116   39.5    0.8   284   20.4 
2025-02-15 00:00 UT   19 12 36.5   -05 39 19    46.864   46.116   40.4    0.8   283   20.4 
2025-02-16 00:00 UT   19 12 41.2   -05 38 56    46.854   46.116   41.2    0.8   282   20.4 
2025-02-17 00:00 UT   19 12 45.7   -05 38 32    46.844   46.116   42.1    0.8   282   20.4 

    Terminology:
            
    delta:  distance between minor planet and earth in AU
    radius: distance between minor planet and sun in AU
    magn:   magnitude (brightness) estimate    
    ra:     right ascension in hours (24h = 360deg)
    dec:    declination in degrees
    elong:  elongation in degrees (angle sun-earth-minor planet)    
    phase:  phase angle in degrees (angle sun-minor planet-earth)        
    AU:     Astronomical Unit (mean distance between earth and sun: 149597870.7 km
    

Orbital elements provided by the MPC (Minor Planet Center).
Calculations by a modified version of AAPlus, a C# implementation of the AA+ project by PJ Naughter from the algorithms presented in the book "Astronomical Algorithms" by Jean Meeus.
NGC2000 dso catalog and star labels from VizieR as provided by the Strasbourg astronomical Data Center.
Tycho2 catalog from the ESO archive.