Key Facts
- Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to the U.S. Capitol building (0.37 km diameter)
- Will pass within 6,676,608 km of Earth in 2025
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
- See orbit simulation
Overview
387746 (2003 MH4) is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2003 MH4 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.
2003 MH4 orbits the sun every 1,010 days (2.77 years), coming as close as 0.96 AU and reaching as far as 2.97 AU from the sun. 2003 MH4 is about 0.4 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 90% of asteroids but tiny compared to large asteroids, comparable in size to the U.S. Capitol building.
Close Approaches
2003 MH4'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.
2003 MH4 has 9 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| May 24, 2025 | 6,676,608 | 8.350 |
| May 23, 2036 | 7,453,879 | 8.404 |
| April 17, 2047 | 9,997,947 | 8.457 |
| March 27, 2058 | 11,530,531 | 10.365 |
| March 16, 2069 | 24,247,377 | 13.629 |
| June 26, 2121 | 17,798,771 | 13.009 |
| June 12, 2132 | 2,005,638 | 9.738 |
| April 4, 2168 | 9,683,292 | 9.513 |
| June 26, 2179 | 14,974,439 | 12.411 |
Images and Observations
2003 MH4's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Jan. 26, 2003. It was last officially observed on Sept. 1, 2014. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 283 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 2003 MH4:References
Search
or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 1.965 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.5134
- Inclination: 3.89°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 259.69°
- Argument of Periapsis: 323.24°
- Mean Anomaly: 144.69°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: 0.36600 km
- Magnitude: 20.1
- Albedo: 0.132
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 1,010 days (2.77 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 21.17 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 2.97 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.96 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 387746 (2003 MH4) 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 2003 MH4 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.
