SpaceAtlas Space Object Data
NASA JPL SBDB · 2021 LB2

2021 LB2

2021 LB2 is an Amor-type near-Earth asteroid that approaches Earth from beyond our orbit without crossing it, orbiting the Sun at 2.412 AU once every 3.75 yr.

Amor Observations: 88
Orbital Period · P
3.75 yr
v(q)
33.6 km/s
v(Q)
10.9 km/s
Diameter · ≈
0.22 km
TJ
3.32
Eccentricity · e
0.509

Orbit and dynamics

The path is an ellipse reaching 1.184 AU from the Sun at perihelion and 3.64 AU at aphelion, a radial span of 2.456 AU.

Applying Kepler's third law to a = 2.412 AU gives an orbital period of 3.75 yr, or about 1,368 days.

The high eccentricity (0.509) produces a strongly elongated orbit, so the object spends most of its time far from the Sun.

The orbital plane is tilted 8.09° relative to the ecliptic.

By the vis-viva equation its orbital speed rises to 33.6 km/s at perihelion and falls to 10.9 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 and an assumed geometric albedo of 0.14, the diameter works out to roughly 0.22 km.

Observation record and orbit quality

The current orbit solution is based on 88 observations and has a weighted RMS residual of 0.4553 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
2.412 AU
Eccentricity
0.509
Perihelion
1.184 AU
Aphelion
3.639708 AU
Inclination
8.09°
Orbital Period
— yr
Epoch
2461200.5
Mean Anomaly
116.86°

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
2036-Jul-17 10:12 0.402660 AU
60237069 km
6.70 km/s
2051-Jul-24 12:18 0.258121 AU
38614337 km
6.78 km/s
2066-Aug-05 06:03 0.437788 AU
65492170 km
12.96 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
21.0

Orbit Quality

RMS
0.45529
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.

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