Asteroid Lutetia Observation Details
Lutetia Daily Motion
21 Lutetia will be visible until August, 4, when it will move too close to the Sun. During this time, its proximity to the Sun will cause it to disappear from the night sky, making it unobservable for a while.
Lutetia Visibility on August 04
21 Lutetia is visible from sunset through most of the night
Lutetia Rise and Set Timetable
| Time | Elevation | |
| Lutetia rise | 13:31 | |
| Sunset | 18:12 | 31° |
| Lutetia transit | 18:21 | 31° |
| Civil sunset | 18:41 | 31° |
| Twighlight start | 19:16 | 30° |
| Astrosession begin | 19:54 | 27° |
Moon Rise, 72.5% illuminated  | 20:44 | 22° |
| Lutetia set | 23:11 | |
| Astrosession end | 02:34 | -39° |
| Moon Set | 10:28 | -34° |
Track Lutetia Position Throughout the Night
← Tue, 4 August 2026 →
| Time | |
| Altitude | |
| Azimuth |
Shift the map to change the time and observe Lutetia changing position in the night sky.
Lutetia Description
Lutetia, designated as 21 Lutetia, is a main-belt asteroid, located between Mars and Jupiter in the solar system. With a diameter of 96 km, 21 Lutetia completes its orbit around the Sun in 3.8 years. At the moment, 21 Lutetia is 1.615 AU (241,566,154 km) from Earth, and it is located in the constellation Scorpius.Current position of Lutetia in Solar System
| Date | Tue, 4 August 2026 |
| Distance from Earth to Lutetia | 1.61707 AU (241,910,229km) |
| Elongation | 111° |
| Angular diameter | " |
| Magnitude | 11.5 |
Finder Chart for Lutetia
Double-click to unlock the map.
| Object name | 21 Lutetia |
| Field of view | |
| Limiting magnitude | |
| 21 Lutetia coordinates | 16.07048, -21.32683 |
| Center coordinates | 16.07048, -21.32683 |
Annual motion of Lutetia
| Date | Tue, 4 August 2026 |
| Twighlight start | 19:49 |
| Twighlight end | 02:27 |
| Twighlight duration | 7h 38m |
| Rise | 13:28 |
| Set | 23:07 |
| Elevation at transit | 31° |
| Transit time | 18:17 |
| Equatorial coordinates | RA: 16h 04m 49s", Dec: -21° 22' 24s |
| Magnitude | 12 |
| Constellation | Scorpius |
The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of a Lutetia, providing a comprehensive overview of its daily appearances and transit times throughout the year.
The graph is structured with the vertical axis showing the hours of the day, ranging from 12 AM to 12 AM the next day, while the horizontal axis spans each day of the year.
The reddish shaded area indicates the periods when the Lutetia is above the horizon, visible to observers. The white line marks the times when the celestial object reaches its highest point in the sky each day, known as the transit. You can also view detailed visibility information in a dedicated table, including exact rise, transit, and set times for each date.
The graph is structured with the vertical axis showing the hours of the day, ranging from 12 AM to 12 AM the next day, while the horizontal axis spans each day of the year.
The reddish shaded area indicates the periods when the Lutetia is above the horizon, visible to observers. The white line marks the times when the celestial object reaches its highest point in the sky each day, known as the transit. You can also view detailed visibility information in a dedicated table, including exact rise, transit, and set times for each date.
Astrometric & Physical Parameters of 21 Lutetia
Coordinates & Visibility
| Right Ascension | 16.07048° |
| Declination | -21.32683° |
| Magnitude | 11.5 |
| Constellation | Scorpius |
| Elevation | 4.3° |
| Azimuth | 121.1° |
Physical properties
| Mean radius in kilometres | 42.5 |
| Boby mass in kg | 1.7E+18 |
| Body density in g.cm3 | 1 |
Orbital Parameters
| Sideral orbital time for body around another one (the Sun or a planet) in earth day | 1387.902 |
Data Acknowledgment
Our solar system data—including planetary physical and orbital parameters—comes from the Solar System OpenData API , maintained by Le Système Solaire. We thank Christophe and the contributors for making this open data available.
Acknowledgments
We acknowledge NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for providing essential data on asteroids and comets through their Small-Body Database (SBDB) and Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS). Their continuous efforts in tracking and cataloging these celestial bodies make it possible to offer accurate and up-to-date information on their positions, orbits, and physical characteristics.