SpaceAtlas Space Object Data
NASA JPL SBDB · 379P

Spacewatch

Spacewatch follows a distinctly cometary orbit: an eccentricity of 0.338 carries it from 2.334 AU at perihelion out to 4.718 AU at aphelion.

comet Observations: 167
Orbital Period · P
6.62 yr
v(q)
22.6 km/s
v(Q)
11.2 km/s
TJ
2.99
Eccentricity · e
0.338

Orbit and dynamics

The path is an ellipse reaching 2.334 AU from the Sun at perihelion and 4.718 AU at aphelion, a radial span of 2.384 AU.

Applying Kepler's third law to a = 3.526 AU gives an orbital period of 6.62 yr, or about 2,418 days.

An eccentricity of 0.338 makes the orbit moderately elongated.

The orbital plane is tilted 12.39° relative to the ecliptic.

By the vis-viva equation its orbital speed rises to 22.6 km/s at perihelion and falls to 11.2 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 Spacewatch, so its physical size remains unconstrained.

Observation record and orbit quality

The current orbit solution is based on 167 observations and has a weighted RMS residual of 0.7473 arcseconds.

Condition code U = 1 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
3.526 AU
Eccentricity
0.338
Perihelion
2.334 AU
Aphelion
4.717788 AU
Inclination
12.39°
Orbital Period
— yr
Epoch
2458253.5
Mean Anomaly
293.99°

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
0.74734
Condition
1
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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