2021 JC4 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2021 JC4 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 JC4 orbits the sun every 509 days (1.39 years), coming as close as 0.68 AU and reaching as far as 1.82 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2021 JC4 is probably between 0.015 to 0.035 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
2021 JC4's orbit is 0.01 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that its orbit is relatively close to Earth's orbit.
2021 JC4 has 4 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| May 14, 2021 | 2,333,913 | 13.809 |
| Nov. 8, 2025 | 21,744,762 | 9.874 |
| Nov. 14, 2057 | 12,629,527 | 11.655 |
| May 6, 2060 | 24,139,350 | 18.887 |
2021 JC4's orbit is determined by observations dating back to May 10, 2021. It was last officially observed on May 15, 2021. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 40 observations used to determine its orbit.
The position of 2021 JC4 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.