153271 (2001 CL42)

Mid-sized Apollo-class Asteroid

Near-Earth
Space Reference » Apollo-class Asteroids » 153271 (2001 CL42)

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to Mount Everest (2.44 km diameter)
  • Will pass within 28,488,485 km of Earth in 2071
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

153271 (2001 CL42) is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2001 CL42 as a "Near Earth Asteroid" due to its orbit's proximity to Earth, but it is not considered potentially hazardous because computer simulations have not indicated any imminent likelihood of future collision.

2001 CL42 orbits the sun every 710 days (1.94 years), coming as close as 0.93 AU and reaching as far as 2.18 AU from the sun. 2001 CL42 is about 2.4 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to Mount Everest.

Close Approaches

2001 CL42's orbit is 0.19 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is a wide berth between this asteroid and Earth at all times.

2001 CL42 has 2 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Sept. 15, 2071 28,488,485 14.432
Sept. 17, 2139 28,401,083 15.334

Images and Observations

2001 CL42's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Feb. 15, 2001. It was last officially observed on Feb. 25, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 955 observations used to determine its orbit.

Accessibility and Exploration

This asteroid is not considered a viable target for human exploration by the NHATS study.

Similar Objects

These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 2001 CL42:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 1.557 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.4025
  • Inclination: 21.65°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 12.04°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 270.84°
  • Mean Anomaly: 136.39°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 2.44100 km
  • Magnitude: 17.42
  • Albedo: 0.039

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 710 days (1.94 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 23.86 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.18 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.93 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 153271 (2001 CL42) is indicated by a ◯ pink circle. Note that the object may not be in your current field of view. Use the controls below to adjust position, location, and time.

Size Rendering

The above comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of 2001 CL42 to create an approximate landscape rendering with Mount Everest in the background. This approximation is built for full-resolution desktop browsers. Shape, color, and texture of asteroid are imagined.