2021 OT is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2021 OT 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 OT orbits the sun every 362 days (0.99 years), coming as close as 0.70 AU and reaching as far as 1.29 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2021 OT is probably between 0.015 to 0.034 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
2021 OT'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 OT has 20 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| July 21, 2019 | 10,058,901 | 13.641 |
| July 19, 2020 | 4,166,080 | 12.714 |
| July 18, 2021 | 1,388,704 | 12.075 |
| July 17, 2022 | 6,314,725 | 11.247 |
| July 17, 2023 | 12,681,137 | 10.446 |
| July 17, 2024 | 19,459,603 | 9.723 |
| July 19, 2025 | 26,356,024 | 9.179 |
| Jan. 15, 2041 | 28,280,304 | 11.244 |
| Jan. 9, 2042 | 24,080,323 | 11.456 |
| Jan. 3, 2043 | 20,972,346 | 11.935 |
| Dec. 29, 2043 | 19,806,318 | 12.650 |
| Dec. 24, 2044 | 21,078,213 | 13.557 |
| Dec. 20, 2045 | 24,588,722 | 14.634 |
| July 26, 2129 | 29,353,043 | 16.933 |
| July 24, 2130 | 21,419,363 | 15.533 |
| July 23, 2131 | 13,663,482 | 14.240 |
| July 20, 2132 | 6,322,643 | 13.074 |
| July 19, 2133 | 944,719 | 12.125 |
| July 19, 2134 | 7,304,641 | 11.120 |
| July 18, 2135 | 15,051,713 | 10.188 |
2021 OT's orbit is determined by observations dating back to July 19, 2021. It was last officially observed on July 20, 2021. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 53 observations used to determine its orbit.
The position of 2021 OT 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.