2021 EP4 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2021 EP4 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 EP4 orbits the sun every 724 days (1.98 years), coming as close as 0.97 AU and reaching as far as 2.18 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2021 EP4 is probably between 0.002 to 0.011 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
2021 EP4'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 EP4 has 3 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| March 15, 2021 | 371,589 | 6.803 |
| Feb. 13, 2023 | 7,287,189 | 6.141 |
| Jan. 16, 2025 | 16,378,849 | 8.588 |
2021 EP4's orbit is determined by observations dating back to March 15, 2021. It was last officially observed on March 18, 2021. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 67 observations used to determine its orbit.
2021 EP4 can be reached with a journey of 354 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 10.458 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 343 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2021 EP4.
The position of 2021 EP4 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.