139359 (2001 ME1)

Mid-sized Apollo-class Asteroid

Near-Earth Potentially Hazardous
Space Reference » Apollo-class Asteroids » 139359 (2001 ME1)

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to Mount Everest
  • Will pass within 17,563,258 km of Earth in 2062
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

139359 (2001 ME1) is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2001 ME1 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2001 ME1 orbits the sun every 1,560 days (4.27 years), coming as close as 0.34 AU and reaching as far as 4.92 AU from the sun. Its orbit is highly elliptical. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2001 ME1 is probably between 1.314 to 2.938 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to Mount Everest.

Close Approaches

2001 ME1's orbit is 0.01 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.

2001 ME1 has 6 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Feb. 7, 2062 17,563,258 29.978
June 26, 2070 10,539,878 28.645
June 21, 2083 22,119,645 32.849
June 25, 2096 15,083,839 30.220
July 3, 2109 20,188,948 26.441
June 29, 2135 18,677,362 29.222

Images and Observations

2001 ME1's orbit is determined by observations dating back to May 25, 2001. It was last officially observed on April 23, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 742 observations used to determine its orbit.

Accessibility and Exploration

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

Similar Objects

These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 2001 ME1:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.633 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.8702
  • Inclination: 5.96°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 84.59°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 302.36°
  • Mean Anomaly: 46.62°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~1.696 km
  • Magnitude: 16.53

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,560 days (4.27 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 18.36 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 4.92 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.34 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 139359 (2001 ME1) 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 2001 ME1 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.