SpaceAtlas Space Object Data
NASA JPL SBDB · 2026 MC3

2026 MC3

2026 MC3 belongs to the Apollo group of near-Earth asteroids, whose orbits cross the path of Earth; with a semi-major axis of 1.051 AU it takes 1.08 yr to circle the Sun.

Apollo Observations: 24
Orbital Period · P
1.08 yr
v(q)
38.9 km/s
v(Q)
21.7 km/s
Diameter · ≈
0.08 km
TJ
5.78
Eccentricity · e
0.2845

Orbit and dynamics

The path is an ellipse reaching 0.752 AU from the Sun at perihelion and 1.35 AU at aphelion, a radial span of 0.598 AU.

Applying Kepler's third law to a = 1.051 AU gives an orbital period of 1.08 yr, or about 394 days.

An eccentricity of 0.284 makes the orbit moderately elongated.

The orbital plane is tilted 14.83° relative to the ecliptic.

By the vis-viva equation its orbital speed rises to 38.9 km/s at perihelion and falls to 21.7 km/s at aphelion.

Because q < 1 AU and Q > 1 AU, this orbit geometrically intersects the region of Earth's orbit.

Size and surface

No direct size measurement is available; from an absolute magnitude of H = 23.29 and an assumed geometric albedo of 0.14, the diameter works out to roughly 0.08 km.

Observation record and orbit quality

The current orbit solution is based on 24 observations and has a weighted RMS residual of 0.3309 arcseconds.

Condition code U = 6 indicates a moderately constrained orbit; predictions decades ahead still carry noticeable uncertainty.

About these computed values

Orbital periods, perihelion and aphelion speeds, and diameter estimates on this page are computed by SpaceAtlas from the JPL SBDB orbital elements. They are derived quantities, not values copied from the source catalogue.

Orbital Parameters

Semi-Major Axis
1.051 AU
Eccentricity
0.2845
Perihelion
0.752 AU
Aphelion
1.350009 AU
Inclination
14.83°
Orbital Period
— yr
Epoch
2461200.5
Mean Anomaly
244.66°

Orbit diagram

The Sun sits at the focus (orange). Earth's orbit is the grey circle at 1 AU. The red dot marks the object's position at the catalog epoch.

3D orbit (interactive)

Drag to rotate; scroll or pinch to zoom. The Sun is at the focus (orange), Earth's orbit is the grey ring at 1 AU, and the red dot marks the object's current position.

Close approaches

Predicted close approaches to Earth, from NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS).

Date (UTC)Miss distanceVelocity
2029-Jan-28 08:57 0.134250 AU
20083521 km
12.45 km/s
2040-Jul-19 21:13 0.094358 AU
14115694 km
10.71 km/s
2043-Jan-30 12:52 0.131498 AU
19671781 km
12.76 km/s
2054-Jul-20 09:14 0.094710 AU
14168398 km
10.59 km/s
2057-Jan-30 12:00 0.132083 AU
19759388 km
12.85 km/s
2068-Jul-20 00:25 0.094837 AU
14187343 km
10.76 km/s

Distances in astronomical units (AU) and kilometres. Source: NASA/JPL CNEOS Close Approach Data API.

Physical Parameters

Diameter
— km
Albedo
—
Density
— g/cm³
Rotation Period
— h
Absolute Magnitude
23.29

Orbit Quality

RMS
0.33094
Condition
6
Orbit ID
—
Data source: NASA JPL Small-Body Database · NASA CNEOS. Orbital periods, perihelion and aphelion speeds, and diameter estimates on this page are computed by SpaceAtlas from the JPL SBDB orbital elements. They are derived quantities, not values copied from the source catalogue.

Keep exploring

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