Key Facts
- Categorized as a Aten-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
- Will pass within 709,364 km of Earth in 2020
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
2020 MK3 is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2020 MK3 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.
2020 MK3 orbits the sun every 265 days (0.73 years), coming as close as 0.52 AU and reaching as far as 1.10 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2020 MK3 is probably between 0.012 to 0.054 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
Close Approaches
2020 MK3'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.
2020 MK3 has 6 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| July 1, 2020 | 709,364 | 8.357 |
| April 24, 2025 | 23,140,866 | 12.906 |
| July 2, 2028 | 2,811,887 | 8.781 |
| April 24, 2033 | 12,604,890 | 10.522 |
| July 3, 2036 | 16,769,191 | 11.740 |
| April 27, 2041 | 5,345,668 | 8.052 |
Images and Observations
2020 MK3's orbit is determined by observations dating back to June 16, 2020. It was last officially observed on June 29, 2020. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 42 observations used to determine its orbit.
Accessibility and Exploration
2020 MK3 can be reached with a journey of 346 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 11.06 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 990 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2020 MK3.
Similar Objects
These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 2020 MK3:References
Search
or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 0.8084 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.3603
- Inclination: 2.36°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 94.55°
- Argument of Periapsis: 334.28°
- Mean Anomaly: 23.25°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.033 km
- Magnitude: 25.8
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 265 days (0.73 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 33.19 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.10 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.52 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 2020 MK3 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 2020 MK3 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.
