369264 (2009 MS)

Mid-sized Apollo-class Asteroid

Near-Earth Potentially Hazardous
Space Reference » Apollo-class Asteroids » 369264 (2009 MS)

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the U.S. Pentagon (1.52 km diameter)
  • Will pass within 25,847,570 km of Earth in 2033
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

369264 (2009 MS) is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2009 MS as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2009 MS orbits the sun every 1,040 days (2.85 years), coming as close as 0.86 AU and reaching as far as 3.15 AU from the sun. 2009 MS is about 1.5 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the U.S. Pentagon.

Close Approaches

2009 MS's orbit is 0.04 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.

2009 MS has 5 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Dec. 11, 2033 25,847,570 30.270
Dec. 1, 2087 10,686,968 32.022
Dec. 12, 2104 25,868,013 30.352
Nov. 28, 2158 22,544,103 33.140
Dec. 9, 2175 16,061,776 30.913

Images and Observations

2009 MS's orbit is determined by observations dating back to June 19, 2009. It was last officially observed on June 26, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 320 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 2009 MS:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.005 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.5697
  • Inclination: 52.37°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 252.04°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 219.54°
  • Mean Anomaly: 130.61°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 1.51500 km
  • Magnitude: 16.34
  • Albedo: 0.232

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,040 days (2.85 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 20.97 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.15 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.86 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 369264 (2009 MS) 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 2009 MS 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.