SpaceAtlas Space Object Data
NASA JPL SBDB · 2014 SM261

2014 SM261

2014 SM261 is an Amor-type near-Earth asteroid that approaches Earth from beyond our orbit without crossing it, orbiting the Sun at 1.516 AU once every 1.87 yr.

Amor Observations: 105
Orbital Period · P
1.87 yr
v(q)
30.7 km/s
v(Q)
19.1 km/s
Diameter · ≈
0.22 km
TJ
4.45
Eccentricity · e
0.2329

Orbit and dynamics

Between its closest point (1.163 AU) and its farthest (1.869 AU), the heliocentric distance changes by 0.706 AU over every revolution.

One full revolution takes 1.87 yr (682 days), computed from the semi-major axis of 1.516 AU.

An eccentricity of 0.233 makes the orbit moderately elongated.

The orbital plane is tilted 15.39° relative to the ecliptic.

By the vis-viva equation its orbital speed rises to 30.7 km/s at perihelion and falls to 19.1 km/s at aphelion.

Its perihelion lies just outside Earth's orbit, which is why it is classed as Earth-approaching rather than Earth-crossing.

Size and surface

No direct size measurement is available; from an absolute magnitude of H = 21.09 and an assumed geometric albedo of 0.14, the diameter works out to roughly 0.22 km.

Observation record and orbit quality

Astrometry from 105 individual observations underpins this orbit; the fit leaves an RMS residual of 0.5089 arcseconds.

Condition code U = 1 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
1.516 AU
Eccentricity
0.2329
Perihelion
1.163 AU
Aphelion
1.869076 AU
Inclination
15.39°
Orbital Period
— yr
Epoch
2461200.5
Mean Anomaly
93.64°

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
2027-Aug-08 13:28 0.466187 AU
69740548 km
1.82 km/s
2027-Oct-02 14:17 0.460712 AU
68921484 km
11.23 km/s
2029-Nov-12 16:40 0.386928 AU
57883644 km
7.89 km/s
2042-Oct-19 07:50 0.191040 AU
28579231 km
8.48 km/s
2055-Jul-26 07:28 0.482122 AU
72124463 km
2.96 km/s
2055-Sep-23 18:29 0.491658 AU
73550936 km
10.22 km/s
2057-Nov-09 07:09 0.361123 AU
54023285 km
7.97 km/s
2070-Oct-18 03:27 0.204530 AU
30597232 km
8.73 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
21.09

Orbit Quality

RMS
0.5089
Condition
1
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.

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