(2) Pallas
ephemeris	date	magn	radius	delta	ra	dec	elong	phase
Today	21 Dec 2025	10.4	3.317 AU	3.846 AU	21h11m	-03°57'	51.1°	13.3°
Opposition	6 Oct 2026	8.2	2.807 AU	1.851 AU	01h22m	-14°00'	159.0°	7.3°

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 Pallas are:

            e (Eccentricity)                : 0.2306430
            a (Semimajor axis)              : 2.7699258
            i (Inclination)                 : 34.92833
            Ω (Longitude of ascending node) : 172.88859
            ω (Argument of perihelion)      : 310.93340
            M (Mean anomaly)                : 211.52977
            Epoch                           : 2025 Nov 21

            L (Longitude of perihelion)     : 129.49720
            B (Latitude of perihelion)      : -25.62926
            P (Orbital period in years)     : 4.61            
        

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
2025-12-21 00:00 UT   21 11 32.4   -03 57 32     3.846    3.317   51.1   13.3    63   10.4 
2025-12-21 09:12 UT   21 11 59.1   -03 57 55     3.850    3.316   50.8   13.3    63   10.4 
2025-12-22 00:00 UT   21 12 42.2   -03 58 29     3.856    3.316   50.3   13.2    63   10.4 
2025-12-23 00:00 UT   21 13 52.3   -03 59 20     3.866    3.315   49.6   13.1    62   10.4 
2025-12-24 00:00 UT   21 15 02.8   -04 00 04     3.877    3.314   48.9   12.9    62   10.4 
2025-12-25 00:00 UT   21 16 13.6   -04 00 42     3.887    3.313   48.2   12.8    62   10.4 
2025-12-26 00:00 UT   21 17 24.7   -04 01 14     3.897    3.312   47.4   12.6    62   10.4 
2025-12-27 00:00 UT   21 18 36.1   -04 01 39     3.907    3.311   46.7   12.5    61   10.4 
2025-12-28 00:00 UT   21 19 47.9   -04 01 59     3.917    3.310   46.0   12.3    61   10.4 
2025-12-29 00:00 UT   21 20 60.0   -04 02 13     3.926    3.308   45.3   12.2    61   10.4 
2025-12-30 00:00 UT   21 22 12.3   -04 02 21     3.936    3.307   44.5   12.0    61   10.4 
2025-12-31 00:00 UT   21 23 25.0   -04 02 23     3.945    3.306   43.8   11.9    60   10.4 
2026-01-01 00:00 UT   21 24 37.9   -04 02 20     3.954    3.305   43.1   11.7    60   10.4 
2026-01-02 00:00 UT   21 25 51.1   -04 02 11     3.963    3.304   42.4   11.6    60   10.4 
2026-01-03 00:00 UT   21 27 04.5   -04 01 56     3.972    3.303   41.7   11.4    60   10.4 
2026-01-04 00:00 UT   21 28 18.2   -04 01 36     3.981    3.302   41.0   11.3    59   10.4 
2026-01-05 00:00 UT   21 29 32.2   -04 01 10     3.990    3.301   40.2   11.1    59   10.4 
2026-01-06 00:00 UT   21 30 46.4   -04 00 39     3.998    3.300   39.5   10.9    59   10.4 
2026-01-07 00:00 UT   21 32 00.8   -04 00 03     4.007    3.299   38.8   10.8    58   10.4 
2026-01-08 00:00 UT   21 33 15.5   -03 59 21     4.015    3.297   38.1   10.6    58   10.4 
2026-01-09 00:00 UT   21 34 30.5   -03 58 34     4.023    3.296   37.4   10.4    58   10.4 
2026-01-10 00:00 UT   21 35 45.6   -03 57 42     4.031    3.295   36.7   10.3    58   10.4 
2026-01-11 00:00 UT   21 37 01.0   -03 56 45     4.039    3.294   36.0   10.1    57   10.4 
2026-01-12 00:00 UT   21 38 16.6   -03 55 43     4.046    3.293   35.3    9.9    57   10.4 
2026-01-13 00:00 UT   21 39 32.4   -03 54 36     4.054    3.292   34.6    9.8    57   10.4 
2026-01-14 00:00 UT   21 40 48.4   -03 53 24     4.061    3.291   33.9    9.6    56   10.4 
2026-01-15 00:00 UT   21 42 04.6   -03 52 07     4.068    3.289   33.2    9.4    56   10.4 
2026-01-16 00:00 UT   21 43 21.0   -03 50 45     4.075    3.288   32.5    9.2    56   10.4 
2026-01-17 00:00 UT   21 44 37.6   -03 49 18     4.082    3.287   31.8    9.1    55   10.4 

    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.