Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Amor-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
  • Will pass within 14,317,373 km of Earth in 2019
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

2021 JE is a very small asteroid whose orbit approaches the orbit of Earth but does not cross it. NASA JPL has classified 2021 JE 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 JE orbits the sun every 736 days (2.02 years), coming as close as 1.05 AU and reaching as far as 2.15 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2021 JE is probably between 0.019 to 0.041 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.

Close Approaches

2021 JE's orbit is 0.04 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 JE has 3 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
April 27, 2019 14,317,373 9.467
May 6, 2021 6,778,430 8.205
May 19, 2023 16,819,901 8.168

Images and Observations

2021 JE's orbit is determined by observations dating back to May 1, 2021. It was last officially observed on May 6, 2021. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 42 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 JE:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2459336.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 1.596 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.3451
  • Inclination: 12.52°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 41.66°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 195.38°
  • Mean Anomaly: 352.48°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.024 km
  • Magnitude: 25.78

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 736 days (2.02 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 23.59 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.15 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.05 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 2021 JE 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.