SpaceAtlas Space Object Data
NASA JPL SBDB · 2015 TE

2015 TE

2015 TE belongs to the Apollo group of near-Earth asteroids, whose orbits cross the path of Earth; with a semi-major axis of 2.71 AU it takes 4.46 yr to circle the Sun.

Apollo Observations: 100
Orbital Period · P
4.46 yr
v(q)
48 km/s
v(Q)
6.8 km/s
Diameter · ≈
0.11 km
TJ
2.86
Eccentricity · e
0.7513

Orbit and dynamics

The path is an ellipse reaching 0.674 AU from the Sun at perihelion and 4.746 AU at aphelion, a radial span of 4.072 AU.

Applying Kepler's third law to a = 2.71 AU gives an orbital period of 4.46 yr, or about 1,629 days.

The high eccentricity (0.751) produces a strongly elongated orbit, so the object spends most of its time far from the Sun.

The orbital plane is tilted 7.62° relative to the ecliptic.

By the vis-viva equation its orbital speed rises to 48 km/s at perihelion and falls to 6.8 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

The measured diameter is 0.16 km, a value from direct size determination rather than from brightness alone.

Its geometric albedo of 0.073 indicates a very dark, carbonaceous-type surface.

Observation record and orbit quality

The current orbit solution is based on 100 observations and has a weighted RMS residual of 0.3184 arcseconds.

Condition code U = 8 signals a poorly constrained orbit, so its future path should be treated as provisional.

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
2.71 AU
Eccentricity
0.7513
Perihelion
0.674 AU
Aphelion
4.746023 AU
Inclination
7.62°
Orbital Period
— yr
Epoch
2457302.5
Mean Anomaly
348.2°

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
0.156 km
Albedo
0.073
Density
— g/cm³
Rotation Period
— h
Absolute Magnitude
22.5

Orbit Quality

RMS
0.31839
Condition
8
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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