2011 MU is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2011 MU as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.
2011 MU orbits the sun every 573 days (1.57 years), coming as close as 0.45 AU and reaching as far as 2.25 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2011 MU is probably between 0.228 to 0.511 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a football field.
2011 MU's orbit is 0.02 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.
2011 MU has 18 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
---|---|---|
June 23, 2022 | 9,843,228 | 20.040 |
June 18, 2033 | 7,681,132 | 23.121 |
June 11, 2044 | 29,691,198 | 27.598 |
Feb. 2, 2065 | 10,976,001 | 22.571 |
Jan. 27, 2076 | 20,520,657 | 18.219 |
June 27, 2080 | 22,426,737 | 17.528 |
June 21, 2091 | 3,882,052 | 22.175 |
Feb. 10, 2112 | 25,198,275 | 26.402 |
Jan. 30, 2123 | 15,537,600 | 19.473 |
June 29, 2127 | 22,426,973 | 17.540 |
June 17, 2138 | 16,318,763 | 24.904 |
Feb. 11, 2148 | 29,904,797 | 27.417 |
Jan. 30, 2159 | 15,808,213 | 19.434 |
July 1, 2163 | 27,154,598 | 16.647 |
Jan. 24, 2170 | 29,746,988 | 16.277 |
June 28, 2174 | 17,311,110 | 18.524 |
June 23, 2185 | 3,865,941 | 21.315 |
June 21, 2196 | 5,724,711 | 22.776 |
2011 MU's orbit is determined by observations dating back to June 23, 2011. It was last officially observed on June 25, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 207 observations used to determine its orbit.
The position of 2011 MU 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 below comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of 2011 MU 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.