Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Amor-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge
  • Will pass within 29,685,572 km of Earth in 2029
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

52761 (1998 MN14) is a small asteroid whose orbit approaches the orbit of Earth but does not cross it. NASA JPL has classified 1998 MN14 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.

1998 MN14 orbits the sun every 708 days (1.94 years), coming as close as 1.21 AU and reaching as far as 1.90 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 1998 MN14 is probably between 0.671 to 1.500 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

1998 MN14's orbit is 0.19 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.

1998 MN14 has 2 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
June 7, 2029 29,685,572 10.130
June 9, 2124 29,096,967 10.054

Images and Observations

1998 MN14's orbit is determined by observations dating back to June 25, 1998. It was last officially observed on April 19, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 408 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 1998 MN14:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 1.555 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.2242
  • Inclination: 19.48°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 258.98°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 350.41°
  • Mean Anomaly: 18.13°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.866 km
  • Magnitude: 17.99

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 708 days (1.94 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 23.89 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 1.90 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.21 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 52761 (1998 MN14) 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 1998 MN14 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.