Comet 38P/Stephan-Oterma is an object with a medium-length orbit that is highly inclined to the ecliptic plane of the solar system. NASA JPL has not classified 38P/Stephan-Oterma as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.
38P/Stephan-Oterma orbits the sun every 13,900 days (38.06 years), coming as close as 1.59 AU and reaching as far as 20.99 AU from the sun. Its orbit is highly elliptical.
38P/Stephan-Oterma's orbit is 0.60 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is a very 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.
38P/Stephan-Oterma's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Nov. 6, 1942. It was last officially observed on May 21, 2020. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,265 observations used to determine its orbit.
The position of 38P/Stephan-Oterma 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.