2012 ML6

Very small Apollo-class Asteroid

Near-Earth
Space Reference » Apollo-class Asteroids » 2012 ML6

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to a football field
  • Will pass within 14,258,216 km of Earth in 2025
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

2012 ML6 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2012 ML6 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.

2012 ML6 orbits the sun every 681 days (1.86 years), coming as close as 0.83 AU and reaching as far as 2.20 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2012 ML6 is probably between 0.254 to 0.568 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 90% of asteroids but tiny compared to large asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to a football field.

Close Approaches

2012 ML6's orbit is 0.06 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.

2012 ML6 has 15 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
June 29, 2025 14,258,216 13.970
Jan. 31, 2027 22,271,994 16.546
March 6, 2040 26,805,382 8.794
June 5, 2053 26,073,187 8.590
July 5, 2066 24,721,227 16.593
Feb. 6, 2068 10,698,573 13.763
June 9, 2094 24,606,805 8.738
July 6, 2107 21,996,286 16.035
Feb. 5, 2109 13,520,626 14.510
March 10, 2122 27,702,924 8.774
June 29, 2148 11,850,641 13.255
Jan. 31, 2150 27,074,100 17.462
Feb. 20, 2163 17,877,644 9.819
July 1, 2189 12,347,528 13.605
Feb. 2, 2191 23,992,232 16.799

Images and Observations

2012 ML6's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Nov. 16, 2007. It was last officially observed on Sept. 7, 2016. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 149 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 2012 ML6:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 1.514 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.4537
  • Inclination: 9.5°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 120.67°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 83.4°
  • Mean Anomaly: 41.26°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.328 km
  • Magnitude: 20.1

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 681 days (1.86 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 24.19 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.20 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.83 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 2012 ML6 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 2012 ML6 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.