2021 KA is a very small asteroid whose orbit approaches the orbit of Earth but does not cross it. NASA JPL has classified 2021 KA 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 KA orbits the sun every 652 days (1.79 years), coming as close as 1.02 AU and reaching as far as 1.93 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2021 KA is probably between 0.005 to 0.022 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
2021 KA'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 KA has 1 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| May 19, 2021 | 1,519,323 | 5.131 |
2021 KA's orbit is determined by observations dating back to May 15, 2021. It was last officially observed on May 20, 2021. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 36 observations used to determine its orbit.
2021 KA can be reached with a journey of 370 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 9.363 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 1,610 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2021 KA.
The position of 2021 KA 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.