SpaceAtlas Space Object Data
NASA JPL SBDB · 234P

LINEAR

LINEAR follows a distinctly cometary orbit: an eccentricity of 0.251 carries it from 2.858 AU at perihelion out to 4.771 AU at aphelion.

comet Observations: 383
Orbital Period · P
7.45 yr
v(q)
19.7 km/s
v(Q)
11.8 km/s
TJ
2.99
Eccentricity · e
0.2508

Orbit and dynamics

The path is an ellipse reaching 2.858 AU from the Sun at perihelion and 4.771 AU at aphelion, a radial span of 1.913 AU.

Applying Kepler's third law to a = 3.814 AU gives an orbital period of 7.45 yr, or about 2,721 days.

An eccentricity of 0.251 makes the orbit moderately elongated.

The orbital plane is tilted 11.52° relative to the ecliptic.

By the vis-viva equation its orbital speed rises to 19.7 km/s at perihelion and falls to 11.8 km/s at aphelion.

Its Tisserand parameter with respect to Jupiter is T_J = 2.99, a standard discriminator between asteroidal and cometary dynamics.

Size and surface

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

Observation record and orbit quality

The current orbit solution is based on 383 observations and has a weighted RMS residual of 0.6942 arcseconds.

Condition code U = 0 means the orbit is very well determined, leaving only a small uncertainty in the future ephemeris.

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
3.814 AU
Eccentricity
0.2508
Perihelion
2.858 AU
Aphelion
4.770551 AU
Inclination
11.52°
Orbital Period
— yr
Epoch
2456102.5
Mean Anomaly
120.97°

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
0.69419
Condition
0
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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