2021 PH27

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Interior-Earth Asteroid
• Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge
• Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
• Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
• See orbit simulation

Overview

2021 PH27 is a small asteroid with an orbit that is entirely confined within Earth's orbit. NASA JPL has classified 2021 PH27 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 PH27 orbits the sun every 115 days (0.31 years), coming as close as 0.13 AU and reaching as far as 0.79 AU from the sun. Its orbit is highly elliptical. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2021 PH27 is probably between 0.756 to 1.691 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than ~97% of asteroids but small compared to large asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge.

No Close Approaches

2021 PH27's orbit is 0.23 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.

Orbital simulations conducted by NASA JPL's CNEOS do not show any close approaches to Earth.

Images and Observations

2021 PH27's orbit is determined by observations dating back to July 16, 2017. It was last officially observed on June 19, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 69 observations used to determine its orbit.

Accessibility and Exploration

This asteroid is not considered a viable target for human exploration by the NHATS study.

References

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

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 2021 PH27 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.

Size Rendering

The above comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of 2021 PH27 to create an approximate landscape rendering with Mount Everest in the background. This approximation is built for full-resolution desktop browsers. Shape, color, and texture of asteroid are imagined.