Key Facts
- Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to the U.S. Capitol building
- Will pass within 13,636,531 km of Earth in 2021
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
- See orbit simulation
Overview
189040 (2000 MU1) is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2000 MU1 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.
2000 MU1 orbits the sun every 587 days (1.61 years), coming as close as 0.85 AU and reaching as far as 1.90 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2000 MU1 is probably between 0.281 to 0.628 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 90% of asteroids but tiny compared to large asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the U.S. Capitol building.
2000 MU1's spectral type None (Tholen) / S (SMASSII) indicates that it is likely to contain and .
Close Approaches
2000 MU1's orbit is 0.01 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that its orbit is relatively close to Earth's orbit.
2000 MU1 has 14 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Jan. 26, 2021 | 13,636,531 | 14.376 |
| Feb. 19, 2029 | 23,375,497 | 9.108 |
| June 26, 2045 | 27,596,348 | 13.762 |
| Jan. 23, 2058 | 23,082,218 | 16.073 |
| Feb. 10, 2066 | 15,012,129 | 9.928 |
| June 26, 2082 | 26,067,603 | 13.225 |
| Jan. 24, 2095 | 22,073,180 | 15.893 |
| Feb. 15, 2103 | 18,610,209 | 9.487 |
| June 30, 2119 | 29,603,203 | 14.549 |
| Jan. 29, 2132 | 11,719,589 | 14.037 |
| Feb. 28, 2140 | 27,194,933 | 8.917 |
| Jan. 28, 2169 | 13,310,770 | 14.323 |
| Feb. 20, 2177 | 23,215,256 | 9.068 |
| June 28, 2193 | 26,265,718 | 13.553 |
Images and Observations
2000 MU1's orbit is determined by observations dating back to June 24, 2000. It was last officially observed on Sept. 11, 2021. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 325 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 2000 MU1:References
Search
or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 1.373 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.3825
- Inclination: 13.09°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 130.05°
- Argument of Periapsis: 63.74°
- Mean Anomaly: 199.56°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.363 km
- Magnitude: 19.88
- Spectral type (SMASS): S
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 587 days (1.61 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 25.45 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.90 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.85 AU
- Approx. Composition: and .
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 189040 (2000 MU1) 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 below comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of 2000 MU1 to create an approximate landscape rendering with New York City in the background. This approximation is built for full-resolution desktop browsers. Shape, color, and texture of asteroid are imagined.
