SpaceAtlas Space Object Data
NASA JPL SBDB · 2020 S3

Erasmus

Erasmus follows a distinctly cometary orbit: an eccentricity of 0.998 carries it from 0.398 AU at perihelion out to 389.2 AU at aphelion.

comet Observations: 861
Orbital Period · P
2,719 yr
v(q)
66.7 km/s
v(Q)
0.1 km/s
TJ
0.75
Eccentricity · e
0.998

Orbit and dynamics

The path is an ellipse reaching 0.398 AU from the Sun at perihelion and 389.2 AU at aphelion, a radial span of 388.8 AU.

Applying Kepler's third law to a = 194.8 AU gives an orbital period of 2,719 yr, or about 993,056 days.

The high eccentricity (0.998) produces a strongly elongated orbit, so the object spends most of its time far from the Sun.

The orbital plane is tilted 19.86° relative to the ecliptic.

By the vis-viva equation its orbital speed rises to 66.7 km/s at perihelion and falls to 0.1 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 = 0.75, a standard discriminator between asteroidal and cometary dynamics.

Size and surface

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

Observation record and orbit quality

The current orbit solution is based on 861 observations and has a weighted RMS residual of 0.6081 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
194.8 AU
Eccentricity
0.998
Perihelion
0.398 AU
Aphelion
389.2104 AU
Inclination
19.86°
Orbital Period
— yr
Epoch
2459284.5
Mean Anomaly
0.03°

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
0.60811
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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