15210 (1979 MU2)

Mid-sized Main-belt Asteroid

Space Reference » Main-belt Asteroids » 15210 (1979 MU2)

Key Facts

Overview

15210 (1979 MU2) is a mid-sized asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter in the main portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified 1979 MU2 as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

1979 MU2 orbits the sun every 2,020 days (5.53 years), coming as close as 2.68 AU and reaching as far as 3.57 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 1979 MU2 is probably between 3.166 to 7.080 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the island of Manhattan.

No Close Approaches

1979 MU2's orbit is 1.67 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is an extremely 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

1979 MU2's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Feb. 12, 1977. It was last officially observed on June 23, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,217 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 1979 MU2:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.124 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1414
  • Inclination: 5.74°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 161.21°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 153.65°
  • Mean Anomaly: 353.16°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~4.088 km
  • Magnitude: 14.62

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 2,020 days (5.53 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 16.82 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.57 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.68 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 15210 (1979 MU2) 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 1979 MU2 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.