SpaceAtlas Space Object Data
NASA JPL SBDB · 242643

242643

242643 belongs to the Apollo group of near-Earth asteroids, whose orbits cross the path of Earth; with a semi-major axis of 1.833 AU it takes 2.48 yr to circle the Sun.

Apollo Observations: 757
Orbital Period · P
2.48 yr
v(q)
81.8 km/s
v(Q)
5.9 km/s
Diameter · ≈
1.18 km
TJ
3.43
Eccentricity · e
0.8652

Orbit and dynamics

The path is an ellipse reaching 0.247 AU from the Sun at perihelion and 3.419 AU at aphelion, a radial span of 3.172 AU.

Applying Kepler's third law to a = 1.833 AU gives an orbital period of 2.48 yr, or about 906 days.

The high eccentricity (0.865) produces a strongly elongated orbit, so the object spends most of its time far from the Sun.

The orbital plane is tilted 8.41° relative to the ecliptic.

By the vis-viva equation its orbital speed rises to 81.8 km/s at perihelion and falls to 5.9 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

The measured diameter is 1.99 km, a value from direct size determination rather than from brightness alone.

Its geometric albedo of 0.041 indicates a very dark, carbonaceous-type surface.

Observation record and orbit quality

The current orbit solution is based on 757 observations and has a weighted RMS residual of 0.2742 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
1.833 AU
Eccentricity
0.8652
Perihelion
0.247 AU
Aphelion
3.418912 AU
Inclination
8.41°
Orbital Period
— yr
Epoch
2461200.5
Mean Anomaly
115.72°

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
1.989 km
Albedo
0.041
Density
— g/cm³
Rotation Period
— h
Absolute Magnitude
17.39

Orbit Quality

RMS
0.27423
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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