SpaceAtlas Space Object Data
NASA JPL SBDB · 1987 P1

Bradfield

Bradfield follows a distinctly cometary orbit: an eccentricity of 0.995 carries it from 0.869 AU at perihelion out to 329.3 AU at aphelion.

comet Observations: 611
Orbital Period · P
2,121 yr
v(q)
45.1 km/s
v(Q)
0.1 km/s
TJ
0.99
Eccentricity · e
0.9947

Orbit and dynamics

The path is an ellipse reaching 0.869 AU from the Sun at perihelion and 329.3 AU at aphelion, a radial span of 328.5 AU.

Applying Kepler's third law to a = 165.1 AU gives an orbital period of 2,121 yr, or about 774,838 days.

The high eccentricity (0.995) produces a strongly elongated orbit, so the object spends most of its time far from the Sun.

A steep inclination of 34.09° carries it well above and below the ecliptic plane.

By the vis-viva equation its orbital speed rises to 45.1 km/s at perihelion and falls to 0.1 km/s at aphelion.

Because q < 1 AU and Q > 1 AU, this orbit geometrically intersects the region of Earth's orbit.

Its Tisserand parameter with respect to Jupiter is T_J = 0.99, a standard discriminator between asteroidal and cometary dynamics.

Size and surface

Neither a measured diameter nor a reliable absolute magnitude is available for Bradfield, so its physical size remains unconstrained.

Observation record and orbit quality

The current orbit solution is based on 611 observations and has a weighted RMS residual of 0.657 arcseconds.

About these computed values

Orbital periods, perihelion and aphelion speeds, and diameter estimates on this page are computed by SpaceAtlas from the JPL SBDB orbital elements. They are derived quantities, not values copied from the source catalogue.

Orbital Parameters

Semi-Major Axis
165.1 AU
Eccentricity
0.9947
Perihelion
0.869 AU
Aphelion
329.32497 AU
Inclination
34.09°
Orbital Period
— yr
Epoch
2447128.5
Mean Anomaly
0.01°

Orbit diagram

The Sun sits at the focus (orange). Earth's orbit is the grey circle at 1 AU. The red dot marks the object's position at the catalog epoch.

3D orbit (interactive)

Drag to rotate; scroll or pinch to zoom. The Sun is at the focus (orange), Earth's orbit is the grey ring at 1 AU, and the red dot marks the object's current position.

Close approaches

No close approaches to Earth are currently on record for this object.

Physical Parameters

Diameter
— km
Albedo
—
Density
— g/cm³
Rotation Period
— h
Absolute Magnitude
—

Orbit Quality

RMS
0.65698
Condition
—
Orbit ID
—
Data source: NASA JPL Small-Body Database . Orbital periods, perihelion and aphelion speeds, and diameter estimates on this page are computed by SpaceAtlas from the JPL SBDB orbital elements. They are derived quantities, not values copied from the source catalogue.

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