2021 EU
2021 EU is a small near-Earth object that should pass within 0.4 AU (60 million km) of Earth in 2024. On 27 February 2024 it has a 1-in-32,000 chance of impacting Earth. 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). The nominal 2024 Earth approach would have the asteroid only brightening to apparent magnitude 23 near closest approach.
| Date | Impact probability (1 in) |
JPL Horizons nominal geocentric distance (AU) |
NEODyS nominal geocentric distance (AU) |
MPC nominal geocentric distance (AU) |
Find_Orb nominal geocentric distance (AU) |
uncertainty region (3-sigma) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-02-27 | 32000 | 0.09 AU (13 million km) | 0.10 AU (15 million km) | 0.10 AU (15 million km) | 0.07 AU (10 million km) | ± 45 million km |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Pan-STARRS |
| Discovery date | 4 March 2021 |
| Designations | |
| 2021 EU | |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch 2021-Mar-06 (JD 2459279.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 8 | |
| Observation arc | 15 days |
| Aphelion | 3.58 AU (Q) |
| Perihelion | 0.565 AU (q) |
| 2.07 AU (a) | |
| Eccentricity | 0.727 (e) |
| 2.99 years | |
| 17.2° (M) | |
| Inclination | 3.84° (i) |
| 157.8° (Ω) | |
| 2024-Jan-08? 2021-Jan-12 | |
| 269° (ω) | |
| Earth MOID | 0.00012 AU (18,000 km) |
| Jupiter MOID | 1.8 AU (270,000,000 km) |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions |
|
| 25.4 | |
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.