2011 EP51 is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2011 EP51 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.
2011 EP51 orbits the sun every 275 days (0.75 years), coming as close as 0.57 AU and reaching as far as 1.08 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2011 EP51 is probably between 0.160 to 0.710 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to the U.S. Capitol building.
2011 EP51's orbit is 0.03 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is an wide berth between this asteroid and Earth at all times.
2011 EP51 has 34 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Jan. 15, 2020 | 7,507,503 | 7.145 |
| Jan. 9, 2023 | 12,729,751 | 10.096 |
| Jan. 11, 2026 | 28,889,860 | 13.870 |
| March 26, 2048 | 20,593,063 | 12.167 |
| March 28, 2051 | 7,711,129 | 9.256 |
| March 23, 2054 | 4,910,178 | 7.351 |
| March 10, 2057 | 10,893,362 | 6.515 |
| Feb. 22, 2060 | 13,927,403 | 6.494 |
| Feb. 4, 2063 | 13,261,492 | 6.487 |
| Jan. 17, 2066 | 8,231,374 | 6.895 |
| Jan. 9, 2069 | 9,050,329 | 9.136 |
| Jan. 11, 2072 | 22,591,339 | 12.455 |
| March 27, 2094 | 23,335,866 | 12.775 |
| March 27, 2097 | 8,445,244 | 9.415 |
| March 22, 2100 | 6,173,783 | 7.092 |
| March 5, 2103 | 12,729,037 | 6.500 |
| Feb. 12, 2106 | 14,068,113 | 6.504 |
| Jan. 24, 2109 | 10,571,140 | 6.559 |
| Jan. 13, 2112 | 6,257,825 | 7.941 |
| Jan. 10, 2115 | 15,704,386 | 10.875 |
| March 26, 2140 | 27,399,137 | 13.649 |
| March 29, 2143 | 14,101,327 | 10.692 |
| March 27, 2146 | 4,642,894 | 8.202 |
| March 20, 2149 | 7,541,299 | 6.840 |
| March 5, 2152 | 12,481,725 | 6.497 |
| Feb. 18, 2155 | 14,061,567 | 6.495 |
| Feb. 4, 2158 | 12,965,011 | 6.486 |
| Jan. 23, 2161 | 10,073,888 | 6.584 |
| Jan. 17, 2164 | 7,152,774 | 7.069 |
| Jan. 13, 2167 | 5,966,304 | 7.826 |
| Jan. 11, 2170 | 7,335,833 | 8.645 |
| Jan. 10, 2173 | 11,893,548 | 9.928 |
| Jan. 11, 2176 | 17,919,671 | 11.375 |
| Jan. 12, 2179 | 24,814,342 | 12.949 |
2011 EP51's orbit is determined by observations dating back to March 12, 2011. It was last officially observed on Feb. 24, 2017. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 316 observations used to determine its orbit.
2011 EP51 can be reached with a journey of 306 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 11.061 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 2,884 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2011 EP51.
The position of 2011 EP51 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.