2021 CN3 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2021 CN3 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.
2021 CN3 orbits the sun every 386 days (1.06 years), coming as close as 0.96 AU and reaching as far as 1.12 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2021 CN3 is probably between 0.010 to 0.044 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
2021 CN3's orbit is 0.01 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.
2021 CN3 has 8 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| March 5, 2021 | 4,275,058 | 3.787 |
| Nov. 11, 2021 | 20,972,330 | 3.062 |
| Aug. 14, 2022 | 13,813,500 | 5.488 |
| March 4, 2040 | 7,904,357 | 4.469 |
| Nov. 22, 2040 | 21,031,911 | 3.059 |
| Aug. 14, 2041 | 8,038,283 | 4.414 |
| March 9, 2094 | 3,629,280 | 3.477 |
| Aug. 19, 2095 | 17,242,389 | 6.167 |
2021 CN3's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Feb. 7, 2021. It was last officially observed on Feb. 26, 2021. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 33 observations used to determine its orbit.
2021 CN3 can be reached with a journey of 362 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 4.477 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 1,277,153 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2021 CN3.
The position of 2021 CN3 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.