2021 EU
Discovery[1]
Discovered byPan-STARRS
Discovery date4 March 2021
Designations
2021 EU
Orbital characteristics[3]
Epoch 2021-Mar-06 (JD 2459279.5)
Uncertainty parameter 8
Observation arc15 days[2]
Aphelion3.58 AU (Q)
Perihelion0.565 AU (q)
2.07 AU (a)
Eccentricity0.727 (e)
2.99 years
17.2° (M)
Inclination3.84° (i)
157.8° (Ω)
2024-Jan-08?[4]
2021-Jan-12[3]
269° (ω)
Earth MOID0.00012 AU (18,000 km)
Jupiter MOID1.8 AU (270,000,000 km)
Physical characteristics
Dimensions
  • ~28 m (92 ft)[2]
  • 22–49 meters
25.4[3][5]

    2021 EU is a small near-Earth object that should pass within 0.4 AU (60 million km) of Earth in 2024.[6] On 27 February 2024 it has a 1-in-32,000 chance of impacting Earth.[2] It is estimated to be 28-meters in diameter which would make it larger than the Chelyabinsk meteor. It has a short observation arc of 15 days and has not been observed since 17 March 2021 when it was 0.23 AU (34 million km) from Earth. On 27 February 2024 it is nominally expected to be 0.09 AU (13 million km) from Earth but has an uncertainty region of ±45 million km (0.30 AU).[6] The nominal 2024 Earth approach would have the asteroid only brightening to apparent magnitude 23 near closest approach.[7]

    2024 Virtual impactor[2]
    Date Impact
    probability
    (1 in)    		 JPL Horizons
    nominal geocentric
    distance (AU)    		 NEODyS
    nominal geocentric
    distance (AU)    		 MPC[8]
    nominal geocentric
    distance (AU)    		 Find_Orb
    nominal geocentric
    distance (AU)    		 uncertainty
    region
    (3-sigma)
    2024-02-27320000.09 AU (13 million km)[6]0.10 AU (15 million km)[7]0.10 AU (15 million km)0.07 AU (10 million km)[9]± 45 million km[6]

    The nominal orbit has it come to perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) on 8 January 2024 and then pass 0.075 AU (11.2 million km) from Earth on 22 February 2024.[4]

    References

    1. ↑ "MPEC 2021-E32 : 2021 EU". IAU Minor Planet Center. 5 March 2021. Retrieved 11 June 2022. (K21E00U)
    2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Earth Impact Risk Summary: 2021 EU". NASA/JPL Near-Earth Object Program Office. Archived from the original on 10 June 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
    3. 1 2 3 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2021 EU)" (last observation: 2021-03-17; arc: 15 days). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
    4. 1 2 "Horizons Batch for 2024-02-22 NOMINAL". JPL Horizons. Archived from the original on 11 June 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
    5. ↑ "2021 EU Orbit". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
    6. 1 2 3 4 "Horizons Batch for 2024-02-27 Virtual Impactor". JPL Horizons. Archived from the original on 11 June 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2022. RNG_3sigma = uncertainty range in km. (JPL#8/Soln.date: 2022-May-02 generates RNG_3sigma = 44762719 km for 2024-Feb-27.)
    7. 1 2 "2021EU Ephemerides for 27 February 2024". NEODyS (Near Earth Objects – Dynamic Site). Archived from the original on 11 June 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
    8. ↑ "MPC Ephemeris Service". IAU Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
    9. ↑ "Find_Orb for 2024-02-27". Project Pluto. Archived from the original on 11 June 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
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