(18) Melpomene
ephemeris	date	magn	radius	delta	ra	dec	elong	phase
Today	9 Feb 2025	11.0	2.738 AU	2.022 AU	12h54m	+00°37'	127.6°	16.6°
Opposition	24 Mar 2025	10.1	2.773 AU	1.783 AU	12h28m	+06°27'	171.2°	3.2°

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 Melpomene are:

            e (Eccentricity)                : 0.2182705
            a (Semimajor axis)              : 2.2950003
            i (Inclination)                 : 10.13205
            Ω (Longitude of ascending node) : 150.33595
            ω (Argument of perihelion)      : 228.05394
            M (Mean anomaly)                : 113.87109
            Epoch                           : 2024 Oct 17

            L (Longitude of perihelion)     : 197.94180
            B (Latitude of perihelion)      : -7.51830
            P (Orbital period in years)     : 3.48            
        

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.