Near Earth Asteroid (2001 MS3) — 2026 Scientific Close‑Approach Report and Asteroid Profile - Official NASA Data Sources
Apollo [NEO]
SPKID: 50092326
JPL Solution 16
Epoch 2461000.5 (2025‑Nov‑21.0 TDB)
Condition Code 0
Asteroid 2001 MS3 Key Takeaways
- Precisely determined Apollo NEO: (2001 MS3) is an Apollo‑class Near‑Earth Object with semi‑major axis a = 2.139 au and perihelion q ≈ 0.997 au, crossing Earth’s orbital region on a ~3.13‑year cycle.
- Epoch‑anchored orbit: All osculating elements are referenced to Epoch 2461000.5 (2025‑Nov‑21.0 TDB) in the heliocentric IAU76/J2000 ecliptic frame (JPL Solution 16).
- 2026 flyby is distant and safe: On 2026‑May‑13, 2001 MS3 passes Earth at a nominal distance of 0.05306 au (~7.94 million km), with minimum and maximum distances identical at the quoted precision.
- Elite orbit quality: A 24.82‑year data arc (39 observations) with DE441 and SB441‑N16 yields a Condition Code 0 solution and normalized RMS 0.60351.
- Small, non‑hazardous body: With absolute magnitude H = 24.0, the diameter is of order tens of metres; Earth MOID is 0.0243864 au, and no impact solutions are known.
Scientific consensus snapshot (preliminary)
| Parameter |
Status |
| Orbit determination quality |
Excellent — Condition Code 0, long data arc, low RMS |
| Impact risk |
No known impact trajectories; not on active risk lists |
| 2026 Earth encounter |
Distant, dynamically routine, fully non‑hazardous |
| Long‑term dynamics |
Moderate secular evolution; weak Jovian perturbations (Tjup = 3.514) |
| Planetary‑defence relevance |
Benchmark small Apollo NEO for MOID‑based classification and tracking |
Object overview and physical characteristics
| Parameter |
Value |
| Primary designation |
(2001 MS3) |
| Alternate designation |
2026 GF |
| Classification |
Apollo‑class Near‑Earth Object (NEO) |
| Absolute magnitude (H) |
24.0 (reference: MPO74093) |
| Estimated diameter (typical NEO albedo) |
~40–60 m (order‑of‑magnitude) |
| Rotation period |
Not determined |
| Albedo / spectral type |
Unknown; no published taxonomy at this solution |
Osculating orbital elements (JPL 16, Epoch 2461000.5 TDB)
| Element |
Value |
1‑sigma uncertainty |
Units |
| Epoch |
2461000.5 (2025‑Nov‑21.0) |
— |
TDB |
| e (eccentricity) |
0.5337258628704572 |
4.7823E‑7 |
— |
| a (semi‑major axis) |
2.139009913057491 |
2.3745E‑8 |
au |
| q (perihelion distance) |
0.9973650015224198 |
1.0339E‑6 |
au |
| i (inclination) |
4.450363174779117 |
8.3317E‑5 |
deg |
| node (Ω) |
272.2768694185841 |
7.0739E‑5 |
deg |
| peri (ω) |
320.4152180610445 |
9.8545E‑5 |
deg |
| M (mean anomaly) |
305.4589119497595 |
8.7262E‑5 |
deg |
| tp (time of perihelion) |
2461173.616681931388 (2026‑May‑13.11668193) |
0.0002797 |
d (TDB) |
| period (P) |
1142.661573562516 |
1.9027E‑5 |
d |
| period (P) |
3.128436888603740 |
5.2093E‑8 |
y |
| n (mean motion) |
0.3150539130125952 |
5.2462E‑9 |
deg/d |
| Q (aphelion distance) |
3.280654824592562 |
3.6419E‑8 |
au |
Solution quality and observational context
| Parameter |
Value |
| Solution date |
2026‑Apr‑10 06:54:35 |
| # observations used (total) |
39 |
| Data‑arc span |
9065 days (24.82 years) |
| First observation used |
2001‑06‑15 |
| Last observation used |
2026‑04‑10 |
| Planetary ephemeris |
DE441 |
| SB‑perturbation ephemeris |
SB441‑N16 |
| Condition code |
0 |
| Normalized residual RMS |
0.60351 |
| Source |
JPL |
| Producer |
Otto Matic |
Earth and Jupiter MOID
| Parameter |
Value |
Interpretation |
| Earth MOID |
0.0243864 au |
Close‑approach capable but not in a hazardous impact corridor for the foreseeable future. |
| Jupiter MOID |
1.74195 au |
Jupiter exerts only long‑term secular perturbations; no close Jovian encounters expected. |
| Tjup |
3.514 |
Asteroidal regime; not a Jupiter‑family comet‑like orbit. |
Close‑approach history (SBDB subset, 10 entries)
| Date/Time (TDB) |
Body |
Time uncertainty |
Nominal distance (au) |
Minimum distance (au) |
Maximum distance (au) |
V‑relative (km/s) |
V‑infinity (km/s) |
| 1904‑Jun‑21 20:46 |
Earth |
± 00:18 |
0.08767 |
0.08757 |
0.08777 |
11.32 |
11.32 |
| 1906‑Jan‑29 21:08 |
Juptr |
± 00:15 |
1.97929 |
1.97926 |
1.97931 |
2.52 |
2.35 |
| 1926‑Mar‑31 01:25 |
Earth |
± 00:15 |
0.18548 |
0.18536 |
0.18560 |
13.20 |
13.20 |
| 1951‑Apr‑26 17:34 |
Earth |
± 00:15 |
0.06458 |
0.06457 |
0.06459 |
8.26 |
8.26 |
| 1952‑Nov‑10 06:35 |
Juptr |
± 00:06 |
1.73744 |
1.73744 |
1.73745 |
2.55 |
2.35 |
| 1976‑May‑12 21:10 |
Earth |
± 00:10 |
0.05326 |
0.05325 |
0.05326 |
7.78 |
7.77 |
| 2001‑Jun‑07 17:04 |
Earth |
± < 00:01 |
0.02325 |
0.02324 |
0.02325 |
8.70 |
8.69 |
| 2012‑Apr‑08 06:31 |
Juptr |
± < 00:01 |
1.73197 |
1.73197 |
1.73198 |
2.56 |
2.36 |
| 2026‑May‑13 02:25 |
Earth |
± 00:05 |
0.05306 |
0.05306 |
0.05306 |
7.75 |
7.74 |
| 2051‑May‑13 09:12 |
Earth |
± 00:04 |
0.05301 |
0.05301 |
0.05301 |
7.75 |
7.74 |
Risk context and monitoring
- Impact risk: No non‑zero impact solutions are associated with 2001 MS3 in current monitoring systems. Its Earth MOID and orbit quality place it firmly in the “tracked but non‑threatening” regime.
- Future encounters: The 2051‑May‑13 Earth approach at 0.05301 au mirrors the 2026 geometry — distant and dynamically benign.
- Monitoring strategy: Routine astrometric follow‑up during favourable apparitions is sufficient; priority is physical characterization (light curves, spectra, radar if geometry allows).
- Planetary‑defence role: 2001 MS3 is an excellent calibration target for NEO survey pipelines, MOID‑based risk classification, and close‑approach statistics, without driving any mitigation planning.
Summary
Asteroid (2001 MS3) is a small, well‑tracked Apollo‑class Near‑Earth Object whose orbit is
defined with SBDB‑grade precision at Epoch 2461000.5 (2025‑Nov‑21.0 TDB). Its orbital elements,
uncertainties, and close‑approach history are fully consistent with JPL Solution 16, supported by nearly
25 years of observations and modern ephemerides (DE441, SB441‑N16).
The 2026‑May‑13 Earth flyby at 0.05306 au is distant, predictable, and dynamically routine, with
minimum and maximum distances identical at the quoted precision. With an Earth MOID of 0.0243864 au,
a Tisserand parameter Tjup = 3.514, and no known impact trajectories, 2001 MS3 stands as a
textbook example of a non‑hazardous Earth‑crossing asteroid whose orbit is known to elite scientific standards.
Sources and further reading
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