SpaceAtlas Space Object Data
LONEOS
NASA JPL SBDB · 2000 S3

LONEOS

LONEOS follows a distinctly cometary orbit: an eccentricity of 0.772 carries it from 2.662 AU at perihelion out to 20.718 AU at aphelion.

comet Observations: 33
Encyclopedia excerpt
Lowell Observatory Near-Earth-Object Search (LONEOS) was a project designed to discover asteroids and comets that orbit near the Earth. The project, funded by NASA, was directed by astronomer Ted Bowell of Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. The LONEOS project began in 1993 and ran until the end of February 2008.
Orbital Period · P
40.0 yr
v(q)
24.3 km/s
v(Q)
3.1 km/s
TJ
2.17
Eccentricity · e
0.7723

Orbit and dynamics

The path is an ellipse reaching 2.662 AU from the Sun at perihelion and 20.718 AU at aphelion, a radial span of 18.056 AU.

Applying Kepler's third law to a = 11.69 AU gives an orbital period of 40.0 yr, or about 14,599 days.

The high eccentricity (0.772) produces a strongly elongated orbit, so the object spends most of its time far from the Sun.

A steep inclination of 25.16° carries it well above and below the ecliptic plane.

By the vis-viva equation its orbital speed rises to 24.3 km/s at perihelion and falls to 3.1 km/s at aphelion.

Its Tisserand parameter with respect to Jupiter is T_J = 2.17, a standard discriminator between asteroidal and cometary dynamics.

Size and surface

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

Observation record and orbit quality

The current orbit solution is based on 33 observations and has a weighted RMS residual of 0.5981 arcseconds.

Condition code U = 5 indicates a moderately constrained orbit; predictions decades ahead still carry noticeable uncertainty.

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
11.69 AU
Eccentricity
0.7723
Perihelion
2.662 AU
Aphelion
20.718187 AU
Inclination
25.16°
Orbital Period
— yr
Epoch
2451841.5
Mean Anomaly
2.46°

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
0.59814
Condition
5
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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