2002 MN

Very small Apollo-class Asteroid

Near-Earth
Space Reference » Apollo-class Asteroids » 2002 MN

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
  • Will pass within 25,686,034 km of Earth in 2029
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

2002 MN is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2002 MN as a "Near Earth Asteroid" due to its orbit's proximity to Earth, but it is not considered potentially hazardous because computer simulations have not indicated any imminent likelihood of future collision.

2002 MN orbits the sun every 893 days (2.44 years), coming as close as 0.91 AU and reaching as far as 2.72 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2002 MN is probably between 0.051 to 0.113 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.

Close Approaches

2002 MN's orbit is 0.00 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that its orbit is very close to Earth's orbit.

2002 MN has 1 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Feb. 27, 2029 25,686,034 15.568

NASA Sentry has assessed impact risk for 20 very close approach scenarios. Here are the top scenarios ordered by probability of impact:

Date Probability of Impact (%) Impact Energy (Mt)
June 17, 2122 0.00043 14.6
June 16, 2120 0.00018 14.49
June 15, 2071 0.00011 14.56
June 15, 2109 0.00007 14.45
June 16, 2074 0.00006 14.76
June 16, 2101 0.00002 14.55
June 16, 2121 0.00002 14.48
June 15, 2097 0.00002 14.4
June 16, 2109 0.00001 14.42
June 17, 2107 0.00001 14.58
June 15, 2092 0.00001 14.72
June 16, 2071 0.00001 14.78
June 15, 2098 0.00001 14.54
June 17, 2107 0.00000 14.53
June 16, 2106 0.00000 14.6
June 15, 2053 0.00000 14.55
June 17, 2106 0.00000 14.58
June 17, 2110 0.00000 14.6
June 17, 2110 0.00000 14.6
June 16, 2113 0.00000 14.48

Images and Observations

2002 MN's orbit is determined by observations dating back to June 17, 2002. It was last officially observed on Aug. 9, 2002. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 86 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 2002 MN:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 1.815 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.4993
  • Inclination: 1.05°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 85.28°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 131.58°
  • Mean Anomaly: 261.5°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.065 km
  • Magnitude: 23.6

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 893 days (2.44 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 22.11 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.72 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.91 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 2002 MN 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 2002 MN 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.