SpaceAtlas Space Object Data
NASA JPL SBDB · 2020 F3

NEOWISE

NEOWISE follows a distinctly cometary orbit: an eccentricity of 0.999 carries it from 0.295 AU at perihelion out to 716.7 AU at aphelion.

comet Observations: 1,315
Orbital Period · P
6,788 yr
v(q)
77.5 km/s
v(Q)
0 km/s
TJ
-0.4
Eccentricity · e
0.9992

Orbit and dynamics

The path is an ellipse reaching 0.295 AU from the Sun at perihelion and 716.7 AU at aphelion, a radial span of 716.4 AU.

Applying Kepler's third law to a = 358.5 AU gives an orbital period of 6,788 yr, or about 2,479,271 days.

The high eccentricity (0.999) produces a strongly elongated orbit, so the object spends most of its time far from the Sun.

A steep inclination of 128.9° carries it well above and below the ecliptic plane.

By the vis-viva equation its orbital speed rises to 77.5 km/s at perihelion and falls to 0 km/s at aphelion.

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

Its Tisserand parameter with respect to Jupiter is T_J = -0.4, a standard discriminator between asteroidal and cometary dynamics.

Size and surface

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

Observation record and orbit quality

The current orbit solution is based on 1,315 observations and has a weighted RMS residual of 0.3899 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
358.5 AU
Eccentricity
0.9992
Perihelion
0.295 AU
Aphelion
716.7132 AU
Inclination
128.94°
Orbital Period
— yr
Epoch
2459036.5
Mean Anomaly
0.0°

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

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
0.3899
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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