300P/Catalina

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Jupiter-family Comet
• Will pass within 7,992,920 km of Earth in 2036
• Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
• Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
• See orbit simulation

Overview

Comet 300P/Catalina is an object whose orbit features a relatively short period, low inclination, and is controlled by Jupiter's gravitational effects. NASA JPL has classified 300P/Catalina 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.

300P/Catalina orbits the sun every 1,620 days (4.44 years), coming as close as 0.83 AU and reaching as far as 4.57 AU from the sun.

Close Approaches

300P/Catalina's orbit is 0.02 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.

300P/Catalina has 6 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Images and Observations

300P/Catalina's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Feb. 1, 2014. It was last officially observed on April 11, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 145 observations used to determine its orbit.

Accessibility and Exploration

This comet 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 300P/Catalina:

• 58 Concordia (A860 FA)
• 103 Hera (A868 RA)
• 109 Felicitas (A869 TA)

References

• JPL Small Body Database
• Mission Design
• Sky Finder Chart

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 300P/Catalina 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.