Close Approach Data and Official NEO Profile
Written by: Astrophyzix Digital Observatory
2026 Close Approach to Earth
Asteroid 879537 (2014 AF51) will make a notable close approach to Earth on 19 March 2026 at 21:10 TDB. This object is classified as an Amor-type Near-Earth Object (NEO) and a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA), although its orbit remains safely exterior to Earth's path at perihelion, and no impact risk is associated with this encounter.
| Parameter |
Value |
Units |
| Close Approach Date (TDB) |
2026-03-19 21:10 |
UTC / TDB |
| Nominal Distance from Earth |
0.11658 |
AU (~17.4 million km) |
| Relative Velocity |
8.94 |
km/s |
| Minimum Orbit Intersection Distance (MOID) |
0.0222536 |
AU |
| Classification |
Amor, NEO, PHA |
— |
Although classified as potentially hazardous due to its size and orbital proximity thresholds, this March 2026 approach occurs at a distance more than 45 times the average Earth–Moon separation, placing it well outside any collision scenario. Its Amor-type orbit ensures that it does not currently cross Earth's orbital path, instead approaching from just beyond 1 AU at perihelion.
This encounter provides an opportunity for continued optical tracking to refine its orbital solution. With a condition code of 0 and an observational arc spanning over a decade, 2014 AF51 is a well-characterised object with highly constrained trajectory predictions.
For real-time ephemerides and ongoing updates, consult the NASA JPL Small-Body Database entry for 879537 (2014 AF51).
Asteroid Profile: 879537 (2014 AF51)
This profile presents detailed observational and orbital data for asteroid 879537 (2014 AF51), sourced from the NASA JPL Small-Body Database. This object is classified as an Amor-type Near-Earth Object (NEO) and a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA).
Discovery & Identification
| Parameter | Value |
|---|
| Designation | 879537 (2014 AF51) |
| Discovery Date | 2014-01-10 |
| Discoverer | Mount Lemmon Survey |
| Discovery Site | Mount Lemmon |
| Classification | Amor, NEO, PHA |
| SPKID | 20879537 |
Osculating Orbital Elements (Epoch 2025-Nov-21.0 TDB)
| Element |
Value |
Units |
| Eccentricity (e) | 0.4298082717249494 | — |
| Semi-major Axis (a) | 1.786269530288486 | au |
| Perihelion (q) | 1.018516110640255 | au |
| Aphelion (Q) | 2.554022949936718 | au |
| Inclination (i) | 2.796223159072428 | deg |
| Longitude of Ascending Node (Ω) | 237.6306537198951 | deg |
| Argument of Perihelion (ω) | 330.2763787338866 | deg |
| Mean Anomaly (M) | 302.3082471547257 | deg |
| Time of Perihelion (tp) | 2461140.2430267967 | TDB |
| Orbital Period | 872.00 | days (~2.39 years) |
| Mean Motion (n) | 0.412841729335071 | deg/day |
| Earth MOID | 0.0222536 | au |
| Jupiter MOID | 2.41254 | au |
| Tisserand Parameter (Jupiter) | 3.970 | — |
Physical Parameters
| Parameter |
Value |
Units |
| Absolute Magnitude (H) | 20.46 | mag |
Observational & Solution Data
| Parameter | Value |
|---|
| Solution Date | 2026-Mar-14 |
| Observations Used | 212 |
| Data Arc Span | 4445 days (12.17 years) |
| First Observation | 2014-01-10 |
| Last Observation | 2026-03-13 |
| Condition Code | 0 (well constrained orbit) |
| RMS Residual | 0.44984 |
2026 Close Approach to Earth
Asteroid 879537 (2014 AF51) will pass Earth on 19 March 2026 at 21:10 TDB. This encounter occurs at a safe distance and poses no impact threat.
| Parameter |
Value |
Units |
| Nominal Distance | 0.11658 | au (~17.4 million km) |
| Relative Velocity | 8.94 | km/s |
Selected Close Approach History
| Date |
Distance (au) |
Velocity (km/s) |
| 1983-05-07 | 0.03145 | 6.30 |
| 1933-04-03 | 0.05157 | 6.38 |
| 2026-03-19 | 0.11658 | 8.94 |
| 2107-05-11 | 0.02320 | 6.58 |
Sources
*All information is correct at the time of publication and will be updated in accordance with new official data releases.
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