The following information shows the result of the orbit fit based on Gary Bernstein's method. Most of the information should be self-explanatory. Take special note that while the original Bernstein software works with barycentric coordinates, we convert these results into a heliocentric coordinate system.
# Object: 18VL203 # Created Sun Sep 7 01:11:41 2025 # Orbit generated from Bernstein formalism # Fitting 5 observations of 5 # Arc: 24.76d # First observation: 2018/11/08 # Last observation: 2018/12/03 # WARNING Fitting with energy constraint # WARNING and with gdot fixed = 0 # Chi-squared of fit: 1.40 DOF: 6 RMS: 0.09 # Min/Max residuals: -0.18 0.18 # Exact a, adot, b, bdot, g, gdot: 1.788825E-05 3.221772E-02 2.353624E-06 4.013922E-03 2.993201E-02 0.000000E+00 # Covariance matrix: 4.4927E-11 8.2655E-08 -3.1897E-13 -1.2157E-09 1.3256E-08 0.0000E+00 8.2655E-08 1.5461E-04 -5.9657E-10 -2.2738E-06 2.4794E-05 0.0000E+00 -3.1897E-13 -5.9657E-10 7.3005E-13 -2.0289E-12 -9.5668E-11 0.0000E+00 -1.2157E-09 -2.2738E-06 -2.0289E-12 3.3708E-08 -3.6463E-07 0.0000E+00 1.3256E-08 2.4794E-05 -9.5668E-11 -3.6463E-07 3.9760E-06 0.0000E+00 0.0000E+00 0.0000E+00 0.0000E+00 0.0000E+00 0.0000E+00 3.5288E-04 # lat0 lon0 xBary yBary zBary JD0 -5.747508 50.468857 0.078762 -0.099321 -0.987758 2458430.855851 # Heliocentric elements and errors Epoch: 2458430.5000 = 2018/11/08 Mean Anomaly: 357.14131 +/- 192.415 Argument of Peri: 324.66731 +/- 260.255 Long of Asc Node: 88.28932 +/- 11.983 Inclination: 9.02932 +/- 2.400 Eccentricity: 0.01994781 +/- 0.5734 Semi-Major Axis: 35.09072306 +/- 18.2614 Time of Perihelion: 2459033.4085 +/- 344282.2 Perihelion: 34.39073985 +/- 26.9301 Aphelion: 35.79070627 +/- 27.4197 Period (y) 207.8723 +/- 162.27 # Ecliptic coordinates at JD0 (AU and AU/d) Ecliptic X 21.85038364 +/- 1.4096 Ecliptic Y 26.34677143 +/- 1.7078 Ecliptic Z -3.34569284 +/- 0.2229 Ecliptic XDOT -0.00224185 +/- 0.0013 Ecliptic YDOT 0.00190169 +/- 0.0014 Ecliptic ZDOT 0.00036511 +/- 0.0002 # Distances at JD0 (AU) Heliocenter to KBO 34.39164565 +/- 1.5856 Geocenter to KBO 33.40904648 +/- 2.2256 # Hcoef: 9.53
The following table shows the complete astrometric record for 18VL203. The first three columns show the date of observation. The next six columns are RA and DEC. The next column (when provided) is the observed magnitude and filter. The next column is the object name (18VL203) followed by the observatory code and reference code for the source of the astrometry.
2018 11 08.35505 03 18 22.084 +12 19 12.48 24.8r 18VL203 T09 C~90Ik 2018 11 08.51365 03 18 21.157 +12 19 09.25 24.7r 18VL203 T09 C~90Ik 2018 12 03.04155 03 15 58.584 +12 11 22.98 18VL203 269 C~90Ik 2018 12 03.07957 03 15 58.377 +12 11 22.42 18VL203 269 C~90Ik 2018 12 03.11311 03 15 58.195 +12 11 21.84 18VL203 269 C~90Ik
The following table shows the residuals to the orbit fit. The first coumn is the point number. The second column is the time, in years, measured from the first observation. The third and fifth columns are the regularized positions used in the orbit fit. The fourth and sixth columns are the residuals, in arc seconds, for RA and Dec respectively.
1 0.0000 0.00 -0.18 0.00 -0.05
2 0.0004 -13.96 0.18 0.40 0.05
3 0.0676 -2153.24 -0.09 94.05 0.02
4 0.0677 -2156.31 0.01 94.30 0.03
5 0.0678 -2159.04 0.08 94.44 -0.05
The following table comes from a 10My integration of the orbit of the object. Three columns are shown. The first column is the result of integrating the nominal orbit. The other two columns are based on clones of the nominal orbit that are +/- 3 sigma from the nominal orbit. If all three types agree then the classificiation is deemed secure. The basis for these calculations is described in more detail in AJ, 129, 1117 (2005). Any use made of these calculations should refer to and credit this publication and the Deep Ecliptic Survey Team.
18VL203 quality flag:0 Type: ERR2LARGE ERR2LARGE ERR2LARGE axisobj 0.000 0.000 0.000 ecceobj -1.000 -1.000 -1.000 incobj -1.000 -1.000 -1.000 qmin 0.000 0.000 0.000 qmax 0.000 0.000 0.000 amean 0.000 0.000 0.000 amin 0.000 0.000 0.000 amax 0.000 0.000 0.000 emean 0.000 0.000 0.000 emin 0.000 0.000 0.000 emax 0.000 0.000 0.000 imean 0.000 0.000 0.000 imin 0.000 0.000 0.000 imax 0.000 0.000 0.000 excite_mean 0.000 0.000 0.000 fracstop 0.000 0.000 0.000 cjmean 0.000 0.000 0.000 libcent 0 -180.0 -180.0 -180.0 libamp 0 -180.0 -180.0 -180.0 libcent 1 -180.0 -180.0 -180.0 libamp 1 -180.0 -180.0 -180.0 libcent 2 -180.0 -180.0 -180.0 libamp 2 -180.0 -180.0 -180.0 libcent 3 -180.0 -180.0 -180.0 libamp 3 -180.0 -180.0 -180.0 libcent 4 -180.0 -180.0 -180.0 libamp 4 -180.0 -180.0 -180.0 kozaimean 0.0 0.0 0.0 kozaiamp 0.0 0.0 0.0