2021 QO1 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2021 QO1 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 QO1 orbits the sun every 452 days (1.24 years), coming as close as 0.87 AU and reaching as far as 1.44 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2021 QO1 is probably between 0.007 to 0.033 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
2021 QO1'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 QO1 has 3 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Aug. 23, 2021 | 1,514,755 | 7.708 |
| June 11, 2026 | 22,951,241 | 6.377 |
| March 26, 2031 | 3,721,026 | 7.342 |
2021 QO1's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Aug. 29, 2021. It was last officially observed on Sept. 8, 2021. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 21 observations used to determine its orbit.
2021 QO1 can be reached with a journey of 346 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 7.61 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 41,449 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2021 QO1.
The position of 2021 QO1 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.