2021 ME is a very small asteroid whose orbit approaches the orbit of Earth but does not cross it. NASA JPL has classified 2021 ME 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 ME orbits the sun every 757 days (2.07 years), coming as close as 1.02 AU and reaching as far as 2.23 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2021 ME is probably between 0.003 to 0.013 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
2021 ME's orbit is 0.00 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that its orbit is relatively close to Earth's orbit.
2021 ME has 2 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| May 1, 2019 | 24,439,955 | 10.465 |
| June 17, 2021 | 316,577 | 5.691 |
2021 ME's orbit is determined by observations dating back to June 17, 2021. It was last officially observed on June 20, 2021. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 31 observations used to determine its orbit.
2021 ME can be reached with a journey of 362 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 9.662 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 597 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2021 ME.
The position of 2021 ME 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.