Scientific Close‑Approach & Orbital Report For Asteroid 2026KW — Live Orbital Tracking and Refinement Viewer Integrated With Official NASA API's
Asteroid 2026 KW — Post‑Discovery Orbital Analysis · JPL SBDB Solution JPL 3
✅ Data aligned with: JPL SBDB, CNEOS CAD, NASA Horizons
The Orbital Refinement image below and the refined status data within the image is computed by Astrophyzix Digital Observatory using its proprietary Live Asteroid Monitoring and Computational Orbital Refinement System using raw NASA API data.
Key Takeaways of Asteroid 2026 KW (JPL Solution JPL 3)
- NASA JPL Solution: Solution JPL 3 · Epoch 2461000.5 (2025‑Nov‑21.0 TDB) · SPK‑ID 54630404
- Orbit class: Apollo NEO — a = 1.4127 au, e = 0.4172, i = 27.65°, orbital period 613.3 days.
- Earth MOID: 0.0076064 au (~1.14 million km) — close in astronomical terms, but no impact geometry.
- Size estimate: H = 25.669 → approximate diameter ~20–45 m (albedo‑dependent).
- Orbit quality: Condition code 7, based on only 28 observations over a 2‑day arc — a very early, still‑refining orbit.
- Close approaches: • Historical: 1937‑05‑25 Earth at 0.00728 au • Upcoming: 2026‑05‑25 Earth/Moon at 0.00830 au All are non‑impacting.
- Risk context: Not a PHA — H > 22 and MOID above hazard threshold.
- Ignore clickbait — Astrophyzix can confirm that no agency lists 2026 KW as a threat.
Scientific Consensus Snapshot of 2026 KW
| Parameter | Status |
|---|---|
| Orbit class | Apollo NEO (Earth‑crossing) |
| Epoch | 2461000.5 TDB (2025‑Nov‑21) |
| Semi‑major axis (a) | 1.4127066 au |
| Eccentricity (e) | 0.4171896 |
| Inclination (i) | 27.6521° |
| Earth MOID | 0.0076064 au (~1.14 million km) |
| Jupiter MOID | 3.46706 au |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 25.669 |
| Condition code | 7 (high uncertainty; 2‑day arc) |
| Observations | 28 (2026‑05‑20 → 2026‑05‑22) |
| Hazard level | Non‑hazardous; no impact solutions |
2026 KW Close‑Approach Overview
| Date/Time (TDB) | Body | Nominal distance (au) | Min–Max distance (au) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1937‑05‑25 08:44 ± 22:00 | Earth | 0.00728 | 0.00699 – 0.02156 | 18.42 |
| 2026‑05‑25 14:30 ± 00:03 | Earth | 0.00830 | 0.00827 – 0.00832 | 18.99 |
1. Asteroid 2026 KW
Asteroid 2026 KW Encounter Geometry
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Orbit class | Apollo (APO) |
| Epoch | 2461000.5 TDB |
| a | 1.4127065866 au |
| e | 0.4171895810 |
| q | 0.8233401177 au |
| Q | 2.0020730555 au |
| i | 27.652121° |
| Ω | 63.470452° |
| ω | 250.459607° |
| M | 220.655651° |
| n | 0.5869838046 deg/day |
| Orbital period | 613.3048 days (1.679 years) |
| Earth MOID | 0.0076064 au |
| Jupiter MOID | 3.46706 au |
| Tisserand parameter (TJ) | 4.522 |
Physical Characteristics of NEO 2026 KW
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 25.669 |
| Estimated diameter | ~20–45 m (albedo 0.25–0.05) |
| Rotation period | Unknown |
| Spectral type | Unknown |
| PHA classification | No |
| Condition code | 7 (high uncertainty) |
Astrophyzix Digital Observatory Interpretation and FAQ
1. Why is the condition code so high?
Because 2026 KW has only 28 observations over a 2‑day arc. This is extremely early in the orbit‑refinement process, so uncertainty is expected.
2. Is the 2026 flyby dangerous?
No. The 2026‑05‑25 Earth encounter occurs at 0.00830 au (~1.24 million km). This is close in astronomical terms but not dynamically hazardous.
3. Why is the inclination so high?
At 27.65°, 2026 KW’s orbit is significantly tilted relative to the ecliptic. This reduces long‑term Earth‑impact probability and affects observational geometry.
4. Is 2026 KW a PHA?
No. With H = 25.669, it is far below the PHA size threshold (H ≤ 22).
5. What happens next?
Future observations will extend the data arc and reduce the condition code. Astrophyzix will update the orbital solution when JPL publishes Solution JPL 4 or later.
Astrophyzix Risk Assessment for Asteroid 2026 KW
No impact threat. Neither JPL SBDB nor CNEOS lists any impact solutions for 2026 KW.
Not a PHA. Its size and MOID do not meet hazard criteria.
Short‑arc uncertainty. Condition code 7 reflects early‑stage orbit refinement, not danger.
Energy regime. At ~20–45 m, 2026 KW is capable of local airburst‑scale effects only in a hypothetical impact.
Operational context. The 2026 flyby is safe and does not threaten satellites or infrastructure.
Astrophyzix Digital Observatory Scientific Summary
Asteroid 2026 KW is a small, newly discovered Apollo‑class NEO with a steep orbital inclination (27.65°) and a moderately eccentric orbit (e = 0.417). Its semi‑major axis of 1.41 au places it in a typical Earth‑crossing regime, with a period of 1.68 years.
The Earth MOID of 0.0076064 au (~1.14 million km) indicates a geometrically close orbit, but current solutions show no impact trajectories. The upcoming 2026‑05‑25 Earth encounter is a safe, non‑impacting flyby at ~1.24 million km.
With an absolute magnitude of H = 25.669, 2026 KW is a sub‑50‑metre object, far below the size threshold for Potentially Hazardous Asteroids. Its physical scale places it in the small‑NEO regime, capable of airburst‑class effects only in hypothetical scenarios.
The orbit is still refining: condition code 7, 28 observations, and a 2‑day data arc indicate early‑stage tracking. This is normal for new discoveries and will improve rapidly with follow‑up astrometry.
Overall, 2026 KW is a safe, non‑hazardous, and scientifically routine NEO in current solutions. Its primary value lies in orbit refinement and survey‑performance benchmarking.
How Astrophyzix Orbital Refinement works
Astrophyzix’s orbital‑refinement engine as seen in the image above, is built around a simple idea: treat every new NEO as a live, evolving dataset rather than a static orbital entry.
The system continuously ingests astrometric updates from the MPC, JPL SBDB, CNEOS Scout, and Horizons, then runs them through Astrophyzix’s own browser‑native N‑body integrators and Monte‑Carlo uncertainty solvers which help us monitor dynamic objects like 2026 KW.
Because the platform is wired directly into NASA’s APIs, each new observation automatically triggers a refinement cycle — recalculating the object’s nominal orbit, uncertainty region, MOID, and future close‑approach geometry in real time. This allows Astrophyzix to detect when an orbit is tightening, when a condition code is likely to drop, or when a new solution materially changes the risk posture.
The result is a live orbital monitor that behaves like a lightweight, public‑facing version of the internal tools used by professional planetary‑defence teams: fast, transparent, documented with provenance and governance, continuously updated, and capable of producing refined trajectories within seconds of new NASA data becoming available. This tool can be used by the public in the same way we use it to study asteroids such as 2026 KW and more recently the close flyby of Asteroid 2026 JH2.
NASA remain the ultimate authority and we always encourage all readers to use NASA as the primary source for the very latest solution information and Astrophyzix to analyse, study or explain that data. Links to all the pages you will need are linked directly below.
Sources
- NASA/JPL Small‑Body Database — 2026 KW
- CNEOS Close‑Approach Tables
- NASA Scout Impact Monitoring
- NASA Horizons Ephemeris System
- Astrophyzix Live Orbital Refinement System