2021 JA5 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2021 JA5 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 JA5 orbits the sun every 761 days (2.08 years), coming as close as 0.88 AU and reaching as far as 2.38 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2021 JA5 is probably between 0.014 to 0.031 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
2021 JA5'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.
2021 JA5 has 4 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| May 17, 2021 | 2,911,571 | 10.702 |
| Sept. 6, 2023 | 5,108,381 | 10.853 |
| June 10, 2073 | 16,508,766 | 8.762 |
| Sept. 17, 2075 | 17,193,341 | 14.294 |
2021 JA5's orbit is determined by observations dating back to May 10, 2021. It was last officially observed on May 17, 2021. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 27 observations used to determine its orbit.
The position of 2021 JA5 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.