SpaceAtlas Space Object Data
NASA JPL SBDB · 2021 KM2

2021 KM2

2021 KM2 is an Amor-type near-Earth asteroid that approaches Earth from beyond our orbit without crossing it, orbiting the Sun at 2.657 AU once every 4.33 yr.

Amor Observations: 41
Orbital Period · P
4.33 yr
v(q)
33.3 km/s
v(Q)
10 km/s
Diameter · ≈
0.14 km
TJ
3.15
Eccentricity · e
0.5374

Orbit and dynamics

The path is an ellipse reaching 1.229 AU from the Sun at perihelion and 4.085 AU at aphelion, a radial span of 2.856 AU.

Applying Kepler's third law to a = 2.657 AU gives an orbital period of 4.33 yr, or about 1,582 days.

The high eccentricity (0.537) produces a strongly elongated orbit, so the object spends most of its time far from the Sun.

The orbital plane is tilted 8.85° relative to the ecliptic.

By the vis-viva equation its orbital speed rises to 33.3 km/s at perihelion and falls to 10 km/s at aphelion.

Its perihelion lies just outside Earth's orbit, which is why it is classed as Earth-approaching rather than Earth-crossing.

Size and surface

No direct size measurement is available; from an absolute magnitude of H = 21.97 and an assumed geometric albedo of 0.14, the diameter works out to roughly 0.14 km.

Observation record and orbit quality

The current orbit solution is based on 41 observations and has a weighted RMS residual of 0.6011 arcseconds.

Condition code U = 4 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
2.657 AU
Eccentricity
0.5374
Perihelion
1.229 AU
Aphelion
4.084872 AU
Inclination
8.85°
Orbital Period
— yr
Epoch
2461200.5
Mean Anomaly
50.18°

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
2034-Jul-05 17:56 0.275296 AU
41183692 km
6.19 km/s
2047-Jul-06 13:01 0.433293 AU
64819743 km
6.54 km/s
2060-Jul-08 10:55 0.348167 AU
52085076 km
5.15 km/s
2073-Jul-06 00:33 0.262971 AU
39339864 km
5.05 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
21.97

Orbit Quality

RMS
0.60107
Condition
4
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

Explore asteroids, comets and near-Earth objects with JPL orbital data.