SpaceAtlas Space Object Data
NASA JPL SBDB · 2011 AT26

2011 AT26

2011 AT26 belongs to the Apollo group of near-Earth asteroids, whose orbits cross the path of Earth; with a semi-major axis of 2.372 AU it takes 3.65 yr to circle the Sun.

Apollo Observations: 53
Orbital Period · P
3.65 yr
v(q)
45.8 km/s
v(Q)
8.2 km/s
Diameter · ≈
0.17 km
TJ
3.16
Eccentricity · e
0.6973

Orbit and dynamics

Between its closest point (0.718 AU) and its farthest (4.026 AU), the heliocentric distance changes by 3.308 AU over every revolution.

One full revolution takes 3.65 yr (1,334 days), computed from the semi-major axis of 2.372 AU.

The high eccentricity (0.697) produces a strongly elongated orbit, so the object spends most of its time far from the Sun.

Its inclination of 1.75° keeps it close to the plane of the ecliptic.

By the vis-viva equation its orbital speed rises to 45.8 km/s at perihelion and falls to 8.2 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 = 21.6 and an assumed geometric albedo of 0.14, the diameter works out to roughly 0.17 km.

Observation record and orbit quality

Astrometry from 53 individual observations underpins this orbit; the fit leaves an RMS residual of 0.6066 arcseconds.

Condition code U = 2 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
2.372 AU
Eccentricity
0.6973
Perihelion
0.718 AU
Aphelion
4.025996 AU
Inclination
1.75°
Orbital Period
— yr
Epoch
2461200.5
Mean Anomaly
97.87°

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
2032-Sep-24 08:24 0.285732 AU
42744841 km
16.09 km/s
2043-Aug-12 20:11 0.190986 AU
28571037 km
13.63 km/s
2054-Aug-10 02:37 0.167372 AU
25038462 km
13.58 km/s
2065-Sep-07 00:51 0.260891 AU
39028672 km
15.01 km/s
2076-Aug-09 00:02 0.182016 AU
27229178 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
21.6

Orbit Quality

RMS
0.60656
Condition
2
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

Explore asteroids, comets and near-Earth objects with JPL orbital data.