SpaceAtlas Space Object Data
NASA JPL SBDB · 2001 BX15

2001 BX15

2001 BX15 belongs to the Apollo group of near-Earth asteroids, whose orbits cross the path of Earth; with a semi-major axis of 1.924 AU it takes 2.67 yr to circle the Sun.

Apollo Observations: 132
Orbital Period · P
2.67 yr
v(q)
42.4 km/s
v(Q)
10.9 km/s
Diameter · ≈
0.16 km
TJ
3.66
Eccentricity · e
0.5915

Orbit and dynamics

The path is an ellipse reaching 0.786 AU from the Sun at perihelion and 3.062 AU at aphelion, a radial span of 2.276 AU.

Applying Kepler's third law to a = 1.924 AU gives an orbital period of 2.67 yr, or about 975 days.

The high eccentricity (0.592) produces a strongly elongated orbit, so the object spends most of its time far from the Sun.

The orbital plane is tilted 12.15° relative to the ecliptic.

By the vis-viva equation its orbital speed rises to 42.4 km/s at perihelion and falls to 10.9 km/s at aphelion.

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

Size and surface

No direct size measurement is available; from an absolute magnitude of H = 21.75 and an assumed geometric albedo of 0.14, the diameter works out to roughly 0.16 km.

Observation record and orbit quality

The current orbit solution is based on 132 observations and has a weighted RMS residual of 0.3916 arcseconds.

Condition code U = 0 means the orbit is very well determined, leaving only a small uncertainty in the future ephemeris.

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
1.924 AU
Eccentricity
0.5915
Perihelion
0.786 AU
Aphelion
3.062046 AU
Inclination
12.15°
Orbital Period
— yr
Epoch
2461200.5
Mean Anomaly
165.0°

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

Predicted close approaches to Earth, from NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS).

Date (UTC)Miss distanceVelocity
2033-Feb-08 11:34 0.157115 AU
23504133 km
12.43 km/s
2041-Feb-11 14:02 0.178894 AU
26762091 km
11.91 km/s
2049-Feb-08 18:23 0.160731 AU
24045015 km
12.36 km/s
2057-Feb-08 09:41 0.158380 AU
23693305 km
12.44 km/s
2065-Feb-08 15:21 0.161854 AU
24213028 km
12.39 km/s
2073-Feb-03 07:25 0.120999 AU
18101241 km
13.78 km/s

Distances in astronomical units (AU) and kilometres. Source: NASA/JPL CNEOS Close Approach Data API.

Physical Parameters

Diameter
— km
Albedo
—
Density
— g/cm³
Rotation Period
— h
Absolute Magnitude
21.75

Orbit Quality

RMS
0.39161
Condition
0
Orbit ID
—
Data source: NASA JPL Small-Body Database · NASA CNEOS. 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.

Keep exploring

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