SpaceAtlas Space Object Data
NASA JPL SBDB · 2022 SU21

2022 SU21

2022 SU21 belongs to the Apollo group of near-Earth asteroids, whose orbits cross the path of Earth; with a semi-major axis of 1.583 AU it takes 1.99 yr to circle the Sun.

Apollo Observations: 132
Orbital Period · P
1.99 yr
v(q)
51 km/s
v(Q)
11 km/s
Diameter · ≈
0.04 km
TJ
4.12
Eccentricity · e
0.645

Orbit and dynamics

The path is an ellipse reaching 0.562 AU from the Sun at perihelion and 2.604 AU at aphelion, a radial span of 2.042 AU.

Applying Kepler's third law to a = 1.583 AU gives an orbital period of 1.99 yr, or about 727 days.

The high eccentricity (0.645) produces a strongly elongated orbit, so the object spends most of its time far from the Sun.

The orbital plane is tilted 8.02° relative to the ecliptic.

By the vis-viva equation its orbital speed rises to 51 km/s at perihelion and falls to 11 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 = 24.51 and an assumed geometric albedo of 0.14, the diameter works out to roughly 0.04 km.

Observation record and orbit quality

The current orbit solution is based on 132 observations and has a weighted RMS residual of 0.4081 arcseconds.

Condition code U = 7 signals a poorly constrained orbit, so its future path should be treated as provisional.

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
1.583 AU
Eccentricity
0.645
Perihelion
0.562 AU
Aphelion
2.604035 AU
Inclination
8.02°
Orbital Period
— yr
Epoch
2461200.5
Mean Anomaly
277.48°

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-Sep-30 18:09 0.036770 AU
5500700 km
24.34 km/s
2030-Sep-28 04:12 0.074465 AU
11139805 km
26.21 km/s
2032-Sep-24 20:23 0.109090 AU
16319642 km
27.94 km/s
2034-Sep-22 04:43 0.155953 AU
23330304 km
29.90 km/s
2036-Sep-18 13:42 0.201776 AU
30185241 km
31.86 km/s
2038-Sep-16 09:57 0.266820 AU
39915753 km
33.53 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
24.51

Orbit Quality

RMS
0.40808
Condition
7
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.