2009 EH1 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2009 EH1 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.
2009 EH1 orbits the sun every 461 days (1.26 years), coming as close as 0.76 AU and reaching as far as 1.58 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2009 EH1 is probably between 0.046 to 0.200 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
2009 EH1's orbit is 0.00 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that its orbit is relatively close to Earth's orbit.
2009 EH1 has 6 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 9, 2019 | 22,645,380 | 15.180 |
| Sept. 4, 2033 | 9,889,542 | 12.666 |
| March 2, 2037 | 18,239,613 | 14.370 |
| Sept. 5, 2047 | 9,069,855 | 12.496 |
| March 3, 2051 | 15,293,018 | 13.778 |
| Sept. 8, 2061 | 20,351,996 | 14.713 |
NASA Sentry has assessed impact risk for 1 very close approach scenarios. Here are the top scenarios ordered by probability of impact:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Distance Error (km) | Probability of Impact (%) | Impact Energy (Mt) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept. 1, 2051 | 5,970.60 | ±10,688.02 | 0.00000 | 0.02854 |
2009 EH1's orbit is determined by observations dating back to March 3, 2009. It was last officially observed on March 5, 2009. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 21 observations used to determine its orbit.
2009 EH1 can be reached with a journey of 394 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 10.325 km/s. To put this into perspective, the delta-v to launch a rocket to Low-Earth Orbit is 9.7 km/s. There are 478 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2009 EH1.
The position of 2009 EH1 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.