2015 MT96

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Amor-class Asteroid
• Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge
• Will pass within 25,018,489 km of Earth in 2117
• Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
• Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
• See orbit simulation

Overview

2015 MT96 is a small asteroid whose orbit approaches the orbit of Earth but does not cross it. NASA JPL has classified 2015 MT96 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2015 MT96 orbits the sun every 1,240 days (3.39 years), coming as close as 1.05 AU and reaching as far as 3.47 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2015 MT96 is probably between 0.435 to 0.973 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than ~97% of asteroids but small compared to large asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge.

Close Approaches

2015 MT96's orbit is 0.05 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.

2015 MT96 has 2 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Images and Observations

2015 MT96's orbit is determined by observations dating back to May 30, 1998. It was last officially observed on Oct. 27, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 201 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 2015 MT96:

• 40 Harmonia (A856 FA)
• 72 Feronia (A861 KA)
• 298 Baptistina (A890 RB)

References

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

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 2015 MT96 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 above comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of 2015 MT96 to create an approximate landscape rendering with Mount Everest in the background. This approximation is built for full-resolution desktop browsers. Shape, color, and texture of asteroid are imagined.