2 Pallas is a large asteroid located in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. It was discovered by German astronomer Heinrich Wilhelm Olbers on March 28, 1802 and is one of the largest asteroids in the solar system, with a diameter of approximately 544 kilometers. It has a highly irregular shape, with a large impact crater on one side that suggests it may have experienced a significant collision in its past. 2 Pallas has a relatively high density compared to other asteroids, indicating that it may be composed of a significant amount of metal or have a differentiated interior. It has a rotation period of about 7.8 hours and an orbital period of 4.6 Earth years. Because of its irregular shape and complex surface features, 2 Pallas is considered a challenging target for spacecraft missions. However, observations from Earth-based telescopes and the Hubble Space Telescope have provided valuable insights into its geology, composition, and history.
Find it in the Sky
Chose a date & time and view the position of asteroid 2 Pallas in the sky on our interactive planetarium.
In Evidence
Asteroid 2 Pallas
Asteroid 2 Pallas is in the constellation of Delphinus, at a distance of
Finder Charts
The sky charts below show, at different resolutions, the position of asteroid 2 Pallas in the sky. Click on each chart to access the interactive star map tool.
The following map uses photographic imagery from the Digitized Sky Survey (DSS) to realistically visualize the precise position of asteroid 2 Pallas against the stars in the background. The horizontal size of the map measures 60 arcminutes. Click on the image to access a more detailed full-screen view.
Equatorial Coordinates
Apparent
J2000
Additional Information
Rise and Set Times
The following table lists today's rise, transit and set times of asteroid 2 Pallas from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
If you need to access this information frequently for your observations, you can create a simple customized Quick Access page, so that you can easily bookmark it in your browser favorites or add a shortcut to your mobile phones' home screen.
Distance from Earth
The distance of asteroid 2 Pallas from Earth is currently
The following graph shows the distance of asteroid 2 Pallas from Earth as a function of time. In the chart the distance is measured in Astronomical Units and the data is sampled with an interval of 1 day.
Note: The values in this chart may not be entirely accurate around the time of closest approach for objects passing very close to Earth at high speed (e.g., Near-Earth Objects).
The value of the distance of 2 Pallas from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the live position tracker.
Closest Approach to Earth
In the period between January 1, 1600 and December 30, 2499, the closest approach of asteroid 2 Pallas to Earth happened on Saturday 16 February 1608 at a distance of 1.193832 Astronomical Units, or 178,594,670 kilometers:
Note: the values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.
Light Curve
The following chart shows the light curve of asteroid 2 Pallas, i.e., its apparent magnitude as a function of time. The curve is calculated using the latest ephemerides provided by JPL Horizons. The magnitude data is sampled with the interval of 2 days. Because of this sampling, inaccuracies may occur for objects that have large variations of brightness over a few days. For comets, large discrepancies can arise between the calculated brightness and the observations due to their highly dynamic, and not always precisely predictable, behavior.
Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of asteroid 2 Pallas at epoch February, 24 2023 00:00 UTC (JD: 2460000.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.23008437 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 34.92703056° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 2.13238273 AU 318,999,917 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
3.40688064 AU 509,662,090 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
2.76963168 AU 414,331,003 km |
| Orbital period | period |
4.6094 years 1,683.5711 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | March 7, 2023 2,460,010.5573 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | October 15, 2027 2,461,694.1284 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 310.86479846644° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 172.918132705° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 357.84943175674° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.21383119°/day |
Orbit Visualization
The following chart is a 3D animated visualization of the orbit of asteroid 2 Pallas relative to the other major objects in the Solar System. You can access more advanced features using our 3D Solar System Viewer.
Physical Properties
The table below lists the known key physical properties of asteroid 2 Pallas. The source for this data is the JPL Small-Body Database.
| Physical Parameter | Value | Relative to Earth |
|---|---|---|
| Diameter | 545 km | 0.0428 |
| Sideral Rotation | 7.8132 hours | 0.3264 |
| Absolute Magnitude | 4.13 | |
| Geometric Albedo | 0.1587 |
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of asteroid 2 Pallas computed for the past and next 7 days, with a 24 hours interval. Apparent celestial coordinates are provided.
| Date | Right AscensionR.A. | DeclinationDec. | MagnitudeMag | Constellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 10 2025 | 20h 56m 14s | +17° 17’ 07” | 9.66 | Delphinus |
| Jul 11 2025 | 20h 55m 35s | +17° 15’ 14” | 9.65 | Delphinus |
| Jul 12 2025 | 20h 54m 56s | +17° 13’ 06” | 9.63 | Delphinus |
| Jul 13 2025 | 20h 54m 16s | +17° 10’ 44” | 9.62 | Delphinus |
| Jul 14 2025 | 20h 53m 36s | +17° 08’ 07” | 9.61 | Delphinus |
| Jul 15 2025 | 20h 52m 55s | +17° 05’ 16” | 9.60 | Delphinus |
| Jul 16 2025 | 20h 52m 13s | +17° 02’ 09” | 9.59 | Delphinus |
| Jul 17 2025 | 20h 51m 30s | +16° 58’ 47” | 9.58 | Delphinus |
| Jul 18 2025 | 20h 50m 47s | +16° 55’ 10” | 9.57 | Delphinus |
| Jul 19 2025 | 20h 50m 04s | +16° 51’ 19” | 9.55 | Delphinus |
| Jul 20 2025 | 20h 49m 19s | +16° 47’ 12” | 9.54 | Delphinus |
| Jul 21 2025 | 20h 48m 35s | +16° 42’ 50” | 9.53 | Delphinus |
| Jul 22 2025 | 20h 47m 50s | +16° 38’ 12” | 9.52 | Delphinus |
| Jul 23 2025 | 20h 47m 04s | +16° 33’ 19” | 9.51 | Delphinus |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Asteroid 2 Pallas: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is asteroid 2 Pallas?: Key information on where to find asteroid 2 Pallas in the sky.
- Distance of asteroid 2 Pallas from Earth: Find out how far asteroid 2 Pallas is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is asteroid 2 Pallas?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Rise and set times of asteroid 2 Pallas from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: Planetarium-style interactive visualization of asteroid 2 Pallas's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: High precision real time tracker of asteroid 2 Pallas's position using deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days asteroid 2 Pallas's computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: Information about asteroid 2 Pallas orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization: 3D interactive visualization showing the orbit of asteroid 2 Pallas with respect to the major Solar System objects.
- Physical Data: Detailed information about physical properties of asteroid 2 Pallas.