(16) Psyche
ephemeris	date	magn	radius	delta	ra	dec	elong	phase
Opposition	7 Dec 2025	9.7	2.670 AU	1.687 AU	05h01m	+18°00'	175.2°	1.8°
Today	26 Dec 2025	10.1	2.691 AU	1.755 AU	04h45m	+17°49'	157.6°	8.0°

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 Psyche are:

            e (Eccentricity)                : 0.1343462
            a (Semimajor axis)              : 2.9233145
            i (Inclination)                 : 3.09729
            Ω (Longitude of ascending node) : 150.00988
            ω (Argument of perihelion)      : 229.75341
            M (Mean anomaly)                : 40.63883
            Epoch                           : 2025 Nov 21

            L (Longitude of perihelion)     : 199.72198
            B (Latitude of perihelion)      : -2.36359
            P (Orbital period in years)     : 5.00            
        

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.

Ephemerides:

Date       Time       RA (2000)    DEC (2000)    delta   radius  elong  phase   PA    magn
2025-12-26 00:00 UT   04 45 11.2   +17 49 34     1.755    2.691  157.6    8.0    72   10.1 
2025-12-26 23:32 UT   04 44 28.6   +17 49 29     1.762    2.692  156.5    8.4    72   10.2 
2025-12-27 00:00 UT   04 44 27.8   +17 49 29     1.762    2.692  156.5    8.4    72   10.2 
2025-12-28 00:00 UT   04 43 45.6   +17 49 28     1.768    2.693  155.3    8.8    73   10.2 
2025-12-29 00:00 UT   04 43 04.6   +17 49 30     1.775    2.695  154.2    9.2    73   10.2 
2025-12-30 00:00 UT   04 42 25.0   +17 49 36     1.782    2.696  153.0    9.5    74   10.2 
2025-12-31 00:00 UT   04 41 46.8   +17 49 46     1.790    2.697  151.9    9.9    74   10.3 
2026-01-01 00:00 UT   04 41 09.9   +17 49 60     1.797    2.698  150.7   10.3    75   10.3 
2026-01-02 00:00 UT   04 40 34.4   +17 50 17     1.805    2.699  149.6   10.6    75   10.3 
2026-01-03 00:00 UT   04 40 00.4   +17 50 38     1.813    2.701  148.4   11.0    75   10.3 
2026-01-04 00:00 UT   04 39 27.8   +17 51 03     1.822    2.702  147.3   11.3    75   10.4 
2026-01-05 00:00 UT   04 38 56.8   +17 51 32     1.830    2.703  146.2   11.7    76   10.4 
2026-01-06 00:00 UT   04 38 27.2   +17 52 04     1.839    2.704  145.1   12.0    76   10.4 
2026-01-07 00:00 UT   04 37 59.2   +17 52 41     1.848    2.705  143.9   12.4    76   10.4 
2026-01-08 00:00 UT   04 37 32.7   +17 53 21     1.857    2.707  142.8   12.7    76   10.5 
2026-01-09 00:00 UT   04 37 07.8   +17 54 06     1.866    2.708  141.7   13.0    77   10.5 
2026-01-10 00:00 UT   04 36 44.5   +17 54 54     1.876    2.709  140.6   13.3    77   10.5 
2026-01-11 00:00 UT   04 36 22.8   +17 55 46     1.886    2.710  139.5   13.6    77   10.5 
2026-01-12 00:00 UT   04 36 02.7   +17 56 42     1.896    2.712  138.4   13.9    77   10.6 
2026-01-13 00:00 UT   04 35 44.3   +17 57 43     1.906    2.713  137.4   14.2    77   10.6 
2026-01-14 00:00 UT   04 35 27.5   +17 58 47     1.917    2.714  136.3   14.5    78   10.6 
2026-01-15 00:00 UT   04 35 12.3   +17 59 55     1.927    2.715  135.2   14.8    78   10.6 
2026-01-16 00:00 UT   04 34 58.8   +18 01 06     1.938    2.717  134.2   15.1    78   10.6 
2026-01-17 00:00 UT   04 34 47.0   +18 02 22     1.949    2.718  133.1   15.3    78   10.7 
2026-01-18 00:00 UT   04 34 36.8   +18 03 41     1.960    2.719  132.1   15.6    78   10.7 
2026-01-19 00:00 UT   04 34 28.3   +18 05 04     1.971    2.720  131.0   15.8    78   10.7 
2026-01-20 00:00 UT   04 34 21.5   +18 06 31     1.983    2.721  130.0   16.1    78   10.7 
2026-01-21 00:00 UT   04 34 16.4   +18 08 02     1.994    2.723  128.9   16.3    79   10.8 
2026-01-22 00:00 UT   04 34 12.9   +18 09 36     2.006    2.724  127.9   16.6    79   10.8 
2026-01-23 00:00 UT   04 34 11.1   +18 11 14     2.018    2.725  126.9   16.8    79   10.8 
2026-01-24 00:00 UT   04 34 11.0   +18 12 55     2.030    2.726  125.9   17.0    79   10.8 
2026-01-25 00:00 UT   04 34 12.5   +18 14 39     2.042    2.728  124.9   17.2    79   10.8 

    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.