SpaceAtlas Space Object Data
NASA JPL SBDB · 2020 PF7

2020 PF7

2020 PF7 belongs to the Apollo group of near-Earth asteroids, whose orbits cross the path of Earth; with a semi-major axis of 2.823 AU it takes 4.74 yr to circle the Sun.

Apollo Observations: 126
Orbital Period · P
4.74 yr
v(q)
49.7 km/s
v(Q)
6.3 km/s
Diameter · ≈
0.7 km
TJ
2.73
Eccentricity · e
0.7745

Orbit and dynamics

Between its closest point (0.637 AU) and its farthest (5.009 AU), the heliocentric distance changes by 4.372 AU over every revolution.

One full revolution takes 4.74 yr (1,732 days), computed from the semi-major axis of 2.823 AU.

The high eccentricity (0.774) produces a strongly elongated orbit, so the object spends most of its time far from the Sun.

The orbital plane is tilted 18.39° relative to the ecliptic.

By the vis-viva equation its orbital speed rises to 49.7 km/s at perihelion and falls to 6.3 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 = 18.53 and an assumed geometric albedo of 0.14, the diameter works out to roughly 0.7 km.

Observation record and orbit quality

Astrometry from 126 individual observations underpins this orbit; the fit leaves an RMS residual of 0.4498 arcseconds.

Condition code U = 0 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
2.823 AU
Eccentricity
0.7745
Perihelion
0.637 AU
Aphelion
5.009413 AU
Inclination
18.39°
Orbital Period
— yr
Epoch
2461200.5
Mean Anomaly
58.15°

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
2040-Feb-18 14:07 0.304935 AU
45617701 km
19.30 km/s
2044-Oct-16 12:42 0.334543 AU
50046893 km
25.65 km/s
2069-Feb-15 05:31 0.314190 AU
47002155 km
19.53 km/s
2073-Oct-11 09:10 0.380444 AU
56913585 km
27.90 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
18.53

Orbit Quality

RMS
0.44984
Condition
0
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

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