141851 (2002 PM6) is a small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2002 PM6 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.
2002 PM6 orbits the sun every 479 days (1.31 years), coming as close as 0.18 AU and reaching as far as 2.22 AU from the sun. Its orbit is highly elliptical. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2002 PM6 is probably between 0.732 to 1.637 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.
2002 PM6's orbit is 0.04 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.
2002 PM6 has 10 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
---|---|---|
July 28, 2023 | 25,883,371 | 26.205 |
Aug. 5, 2040 | 14,358,003 | 33.415 |
July 29, 2061 | 18,741,028 | 27.516 |
Aug. 4, 2078 | 8,107,197 | 31.799 |
July 29, 2099 | 21,206,180 | 27.088 |
Aug. 7, 2116 | 14,577,861 | 33.395 |
Aug. 3, 2137 | 8,070,916 | 30.061 |
July 29, 2158 | 26,605,181 | 26.158 |
Aug. 6, 2175 | 9,314,007 | 31.921 |
July 30, 2196 | 21,124,579 | 27.187 |
2002 PM6's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Sept. 20, 2000. It was last officially observed on Aug. 8, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 728 observations used to determine its orbit.
The position of 141851 (2002 PM6) 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.
The above comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of 2002 PM6 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.