2002 MT3

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
• Comparable in size to the U.S. Capitol building
• Will pass within 21,723,380 km of Earth in 2154
• Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
• Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
• See orbit simulation

Overview

2002 MT3 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2002 MT3 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2002 MT3 orbits the sun every 1,770 days (4.85 years), coming as close as 0.93 AU and reaching as far as 4.80 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2002 MT3 is probably between 0.278 to 0.622 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.

Close Approaches

2002 MT3'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.

2002 MT3 has 1 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Images and Observations

2002 MT3's orbit is determined by observations dating back to June 30, 2002. It was last officially observed on July 31, 2002. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 66 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 MT3:

• 33 Polyhymnia (A854 UB)
• 129 Antigone (A873 CA)
• 158 Koronis (A876 AA)

References

• JPL Small Body Database
• Mission Design
• Sky Finder Chart

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 2002 MT3 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 MT3 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.