Key Facts
- Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a basketball court
- Will pass within 7,119,796 km of Earth in 2021
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
- See orbit simulation
Overview
2021 HC3 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2021 HC3 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.
2021 HC3 orbits the sun every 434 days (1.19 years), coming as close as 0.36 AU and reaching as far as 1.88 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2021 HC3 is probably between 0.129 to 0.288 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a basketball court.
The rotation of 2021 HC3 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 0.04 hours.
Close Approaches
2021 HC3's orbit is 0.05 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 HC3 has 11 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| May 4, 2021 | 7,119,796 | 25.292 |
| May 5, 2040 | 8,924,578 | 24.556 |
| May 7, 2059 | 14,282,836 | 23.388 |
| May 9, 2078 | 22,738,291 | 21.941 |
| April 27, 2084 | 29,631,879 | 30.764 |
| May 1, 2103 | 20,042,749 | 28.810 |
| May 4, 2122 | 12,112,943 | 27.085 |
| May 5, 2141 | 8,478,560 | 25.917 |
| May 6, 2160 | 8,341,836 | 25.142 |
| May 8, 2179 | 10,604,435 | 24.281 |
| May 9, 2198 | 16,411,912 | 23.051 |
Images and Observations
2021 HC3's orbit is determined by observations dating back to April 30, 2021. It was last officially observed on May 24, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 143 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 2021 HC3:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 1.122 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.6756
- Inclination: 28.4°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 219.54°
- Argument of Periapsis: 132.15°
- Mean Anomaly: 309.82°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.167 km
- Magnitude: 21.57
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 434 days (1.19 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 28.13 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.88 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.36 AU
- Rotation Period: 0.04 hours
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 2021 HC3 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 below comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of 2021 HC3 to create an approximate landscape rendering with New York City in the background. This approximation is built for full-resolution desktop browsers. Shape, color, and texture of asteroid are imagined.
