SpaceAtlas Space Object Data
NASA JPL SBDB · 2021 EC4

2021 EC4

2021 EC4 is an Aten-type near-Earth asteroid whose orbit lies mostly inside that of Earth, with a semi-major axis of 0.95 AU and a period of 0.93 yr.

Aten Observations: 46
Orbital Period · P
0.93 yr
v(q)
53.2 km/s
v(Q)
17.6 km/s
Diameter · ≈
0.05 km
TJ
6.21
Eccentricity · e
0.5031

Orbit and dynamics

Between its closest point (0.472 AU) and its farthest (1.428 AU), the heliocentric distance changes by 0.956 AU over every revolution.

One full revolution takes 0.93 yr (338 days), computed from the semi-major axis of 0.95 AU.

The high eccentricity (0.503) produces a strongly elongated orbit, so the object spends most of its time far from the Sun.

The orbital plane is tilted 7.34° relative to the ecliptic.

By the vis-viva equation its orbital speed rises to 53.2 km/s at perihelion and falls to 17.6 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 = 24.15 and an assumed geometric albedo of 0.14, the diameter works out to roughly 0.05 km.

Observation record and orbit quality

Astrometry from 46 individual observations underpins this orbit; the fit leaves an RMS residual of 0.499 arcseconds.

Condition code U = 6 indicates a moderately constrained orbit; predictions decades ahead still carry noticeable uncertainty.

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
0.9503 AU
Eccentricity
0.5031
Perihelion
0.472 AU
Aphelion
1.428396 AU
Inclination
7.34°
Orbital Period
— yr
Epoch
2461200.5
Mean Anomaly
153.19°

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
2028-Dec-17 03:15 0.435755 AU
65188055 km
29.61 km/s
2029-Nov-29 12:41 0.116047 AU
17360337 km
15.54 km/s
2030-Sep-28 21:45 0.428257 AU
64066318 km
15.21 km/s
2030-Dec-28 06:14 0.386587 AU
57832595 km
11.68 km/s
2032-Jan-30 11:37 0.457843 AU
68492345 km
12.77 km/s
2033-Mar-04 22:40 0.313606 AU
46914716 km
11.34 km/s
2033-May-06 10:25 0.380023 AU
56850643 km
9.43 km/s
2034-Mar-19 15:20 0.058875 AU
8807601 km
18.40 km/s
2041-Dec-08 11:34 0.233201 AU
34886407 km
22.88 km/s
2042-Dec-03 11:55 0.238965 AU
35748663 km
10.43 km/s
2044-Jan-14 18:37 0.446698 AU
66825065 km
12.55 km/s
2045-Feb-14 15:49 0.411797 AU
61603965 km
12.36 km/s
2045-Jun-09 08:11 0.482743 AU
72217253 km
17.78 km/s
2046-Mar-22 22:05 0.117579 AU
17589619 km
12.43 km/s
2047-Mar-11 04:12 0.280024 AU
41891040 km
25.54 km/s
2053-Dec-18 00:12 0.426164 AU
63753182 km
29.97 km/s
2054-Nov-30 06:48 0.115816 AU
17325899 km
15.91 km/s
2055-Sep-30 22:33 0.413146 AU
61805836 km
14.85 km/s
2055-Dec-27 12:41 0.372319 AU
55698148 km
11.60 km/s
2057-Jan-28 23:14 0.457693 AU
68469971 km
12.79 km/s
2058-Mar-03 23:48 0.310738 AU
46485692 km
11.41 km/s
2058-May-10 23:41 0.377641 AU
56494330 km
10.50 km/s
2059-Mar-20 13:14 0.022827 AU
3414814 km
17.90 km/s
2060-Mar-02 09:21 0.459378 AU
68722028 km
31.74 km/s
2066-Dec-10 01:42 0.253910 AU
37984374 km
23.76 km/s
2067-Dec-01 01:51 0.213159 AU
31888167 km
10.71 km/s
2068-Sep-07 09:30 0.489513 AU
73230070 km
19.85 km/s
2069-Jan-11 19:54 0.440488 AU
65896042 km
12.47 km/s
2070-Feb-12 09:01 0.424481 AU
63501442 km
12.48 km/s
2070-Jun-14 02:10 0.494809 AU
74022413 km
18.71 km/s
2071-Mar-22 00:02 0.162294 AU
24278902 km
11.68 km/s
2072-Mar-12 09:58 0.245603 AU
36741738 km
24.19 km/s
2078-Dec-20 14:50 0.496866 AU
74330068 km
31.51 km/s
2079-Dec-02 09:30 0.123746 AU
18512189 km
17.40 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
24.15

Orbit Quality

RMS
0.49895
Condition
6
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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