Minor planets-, Comets-, TNOs-, SDOs-, Centaurs- 3D-Orbit Viewer 1.2
Enhanced with new options and more accuracy (geocentric positions for example)
by Robert von Heeren in March 2003
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This 3D-Orbit Viewer uses the ASTORB orbit elements database by David Bowell/Lowell University (currently 1300627 objects).
The elements are correct for the given epoch but not for years before or after that epoch.
The osculating elements for the currently 408 comets are by JPL Dastcom services
OrbitViewer-Applet courtesy from Osamu Ajiki/AstroArts Inc.
 
Note: To view and run this java-applet a java virtual machine must be enabled
and security zone should be set to middle or lower.

Please be patient and wait some time until the java archive is loaded.
If you get no applet your browser's java virtual machine may need an upgrade to the latest version.

You can download it at java.sun.com: .


When you click on the date-button, a small popup input box
appears in the upper left corner of your screen (sometimes barely visible)!

Use the horizontal scrollbar to rotate, use the vertical scrollbar to flip the 3D-view.
Move the zoom-scrollbar to the right to increase the zoom into the inner solar system or to the left to decrease the zoom.
0° Aries or vernal equinox is where the red line points to, on default it points to the left side.
When you activate 'Zodiac Grid' you get the ecliptic plane divided into the twelve equal 30°-sections of the zodiac.

Zodiac color-code: red for fire-signs, green for Earth-signs, yellow for air-signs and blue for water-signs.
When you move the zoom-scrollbar to the left then you see the zodiac-abbrev.

Object Nodes: the intersection of the object's orbit plane with Earth's orbit plane is shown.
'South node' => object intersects fom south to north, 'North node' => object crosses Earth's plane from northern to southern latitude.

Object Apsides: the orbit points where the object's orbit has its farthest distance from the Sun (called Aphelion)
or nearest distance towards the Sun (called Perihelion) are shown.

Object's Apogee/Perigee: the orbit points where the object's orbit has its farthest distance from Earth (called Apogee)
or nearest distance towards Earth (called Perigee) are shown.

An underscore at the beginning of a provisional designation means that it has no MPC-catalog number yet.
 

Used osculating elements from astorb-database

Number Name or designation Mean Anomaly M (degrees) Long. of Perihelion Argument w (degrees) Long. of Perihelion L (degrees) Long. of Ascending Node o (degrees) Inclination i (degrees)
53311 Deucalion 303.85420 246.34953 297.68509 51.33556 0.369113

Eccentricity e Semi major axis a (AU) Perihelion distance (AU) Aphelion distance (AU) Period (years) Epoch (date) observations (no) diameter (km)
0.0610373 43.8559680 41.17911 46.53281 290.4310 20230913 12 N.A.