2024 MK

[PMSchu]

Has anyone asked why 2024MK's periapsis happens to be pretty much earth's orbit? 
It's apoapsis seems to be the meteor belt, so it's likely a meteor, rather than some 'man-made' item returning every now and then. 

I don't know how common a periapsis=1 is, but with an estimated diameter of 88 m - 280 m it's not something that we launched. Unless this object has a high albedo that's throwing off the estimated absolute magnitude and making the estimated diameter larger than it really is, it's just how this NEO orbits. The inclination=8°. Interesting observation, though.

Phil S.

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CNEOS has been updating the close approach information for 2024 MK. The initial information for 2024 Jun 20 was as follows: close approach on 2024-Jun-29 13:47±01:29 UT at a distance of 0.00197 AU moving with V Relative=9.37 km/sec, H=21.7 magnitude, diameter 120 m - 280 m and 'Rarity'=3. There is a 44 day observation arc, the Condition Code=8 and the Earth MOID=0.00199464 AU. The solution date was 2024-Jun-20 06:18:36 PDT. The initial reported observation was by ATLAS South Africa, Sutherland on 2024-06-16. The observation arc was extended using observations on 2024 May 7 by Pan-STARRS 1, Haleakala.

The updated CNEOS prediction for 2024 Jun 22 has the close approach on 2024-Jun-29 13:45±00:24 UT at a distance of 0.00197 AU moving with V Relative=9.37 km/sec, H=21.7 magnitude, diameter 120 m - 270 m, 'Rarity'=3. There is a 45 day observation arc, Condition Code=7, Earth MOID=0.00178128 AU. The solution date was 2024-Jun-22 05:49:38 PDT. The last observation used was from 2024 Jun 21.

It looks like it will be several more days before the orbit is refined enough to estimate the close approach time to <1 minute.

ST4v currently predicts that this NEO is in Centaurus at 16.6 magnitude traveling at 26"/minute.

Good hunting,

Phil S.