2021 NM3 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2021 NM3 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.
2021 NM3 orbits the sun every 381 days (1.04 years), coming as close as 0.75 AU and reaching as far as 1.31 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2021 NM3 is probably between 0.008 to 0.037 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
2021 NM3's orbit is 0.00 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that its orbit is relatively close to Earth's orbit.
2021 NM3 has 6 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| July 14, 2021 | 1,629,771 | 8.478 |
| Dec. 30, 2024 | 24,499,875 | 5.374 |
| Feb. 12, 2025 | 25,149,754 | 4.617 |
| Feb. 5, 2026 | 15,261,429 | 11.153 |
| Jan. 26, 2075 | 18,074,661 | 4.749 |
| Feb. 8, 2076 | 20,219,128 | 12.146 |
NASA Sentry has assessed impact risk for 8 very close approach scenarios. Here are the top scenarios ordered by probability of impact:
| Date | Probability of Impact (%) | Impact Energy (Mt) |
|---|---|---|
| July 18, 2117 | 0.00045 | 0.1332 |
| July 17, 2112 | 0.00003 | 0.1332 |
| July 18, 2117 | 0.00002 | 0.1333 |
| July 17, 2112 | 0.00001 | 0.133 |
| July 18, 2113 | 0.00001 | 0.1331 |
| July 18, 2111 | 0.00001 | 0.1331 |
| July 17, 2117 | 0.00000 | 0.1333 |
| July 17, 2120 | 0.00000 | 0.1331 |
2021 NM3's orbit is determined by observations dating back to July 7, 2021. It was last officially observed on July 13, 2021. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 30 observations used to determine its orbit.
2021 NM3 can be reached with a journey of 410 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 9.053 km/s. To put this into perspective, the delta-v to launch a rocket to Low-Earth Orbit is 9.7 km/s. There are 75,745 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2021 NM3.
The position of 2021 NM3 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.