Observation details: asteroid Metis
Daily motion of Metis
9 Metis will remain visible until February 8, when it moves too close to the Sun and temporarily disappears from the night sky.
Metis visibility on 2026-08-18
9 Metis Visible from late evening until sunrise
Metis rise and set timetable
| Time | Elevation | |
Moonrise, 21% illuminated  | 09:49 | -52° |
| Metis rise | 19:09 | |
| Astronomical observing session begins | 19:32 | 4° |
| Moonset | 20:26 | 14° |
| Metis transit | 00:13 | 35° |
| Astronomical observing session ends | 02:51 | 24° |
| Twilight end | 03:26 | 19° |
| Civil sunrise | 03:59 | 14° |
| Sunrise | 04:28 | 9° |
| Metis set | 05:17 |
Track Metis Position Throughout the Night
← 18 August 2026 →
| Time | |
| Altitude | |
| Azimuth |
Shift the map to change the time and observe Metis changing position in the night sky.
Metis Description
This asteroid is designated 9 Metis, main-belt asteroid Its diameter is approximately 190 km. 9 Metis completes an orbit around the Sun in 3.7 years. It is currently 1.427 AU (213,432,778 km) from Earth, and is located in the constellation Aquarius.Current position in the Solar System: Metis
| Date | Tue, 18 August 2026 |
| Distance from Earth | 1.4251 AU (213,191,926km) |
| Elongation | 164° |
| Angular diameter | " |
| Magnitude | 9.3 |
Finder Chart for Metis
Double-click to unlock the map.
| Object name | Metis |
| Field of view | |
| Limiting magnitude | |
| Metis coordinates | 22.88402, -17.30008 |
| Center coordinates | 22.88402, -17.30008 |
Annual motion of Metis
| Date | Tue, 18 August 2026 |
| Twilight start | 19:28 |
| Twilight end | 02:44 |
| Twilight duration | 7h 17m |
| Rise | 19:09 |
| Set | 05:16 |
| Elevation at transit | 35° |
| Transit time | 00:13 |
| Equatorial coordinates | RA: 22h 52m 12s", Dec: -17° 24' 37s |
| Magnitude | 9 |
| Constellation | Aquarius |
The graph summarizes the object’s annual visibility, daily observing windows and transit times.
The vertical axis shows time of day and the horizontal axis shows the days of the year.
The shaded area marks when the object is above the horizon; the white line marks daily transit. You can also view the detailed annual visibility table.
The vertical axis shows time of day and the horizontal axis shows the days of the year.
The shaded area marks when the object is above the horizon; the white line marks daily transit. You can also view the detailed annual visibility table.
Astrometric and Physical Parameters of 9 Metis
Coordinates and Visibility
| Right Ascension | 22.88402° |
| Declination | -17.30008° |
| Magnitude | 9.4 |
| Constellation | Aquarius |
| Elevation | -40° |
| Azimuth | 278.7° |
Physical properties
| Mass | 4.6E+18 |
| Density | 1 |
Orbital parameters
| Sidereal orbital period | 1346.815 |
Data acknowledgment
Physical and orbital parameters come from the Solar System OpenData API , maintained by Le Système Solaire. We thank its contributors for making these data available.
Acknowledgments
Orbital and small-body data are provided by NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) Small-Body Database (SBDB) and Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS). These resources support accurate positions, orbits and physical characteristics.