SpaceAtlas Space Object Data
NASA JPL SBDB · 2012 X1

LINEAR

LINEAR follows a distinctly cometary orbit: an eccentricity of 0.99 carries it from 1.599 AU at perihelion out to 305.0 AU at aphelion.

comet Observations: 2,560
Orbital Period · P
1,898 yr
v(q)
33.2 km/s
v(Q)
0.2 km/s
TJ
1.15
Eccentricity · e
0.9896

Orbit and dynamics

The path is an ellipse reaching 1.599 AU from the Sun at perihelion and 305.0 AU at aphelion, a radial span of 303.4 AU.

Applying Kepler's third law to a = 153.3 AU gives an orbital period of 1,898 yr, or about 693,272 days.

The high eccentricity (0.99) produces a strongly elongated orbit, so the object spends most of its time far from the Sun.

A steep inclination of 44.37° carries it well above and below the ecliptic plane.

By the vis-viva equation its orbital speed rises to 33.2 km/s at perihelion and falls to 0.2 km/s at aphelion.

Its Tisserand parameter with respect to Jupiter is T_J = 1.15, a standard discriminator between asteroidal and cometary dynamics.

Size and surface

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

Observation record and orbit quality

The current orbit solution is based on 2,560 observations and has a weighted RMS residual of 0.4579 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
153.3 AU
Eccentricity
0.9896
Perihelion
1.599 AU
Aphelion
305.00568 AU
Inclination
44.37°
Orbital Period
— yr
Epoch
2456644.5
Mean Anomaly
359.97°

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
0.4579
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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