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Evidence-First Asteroid Reporting

Astrophyzix.com is the publication of the Astrophyzix Digital Observatory, offering unpaywalled, evidence‑driven analysis and real‑time monitoring of PHAs and NEOs. Our tracking consoles and reporting systems use and provide access to official NASA CNEOS Scout, JPL CAD, NeoWs, JPL SBDB, Horizons and NOAA observational datasets, peer‑reviewed sources, and high‑precision numerical methods (IEEE‑754 Float64, RKN4). Designed for students, educators, researchers, and the public, every console is uniquely designed and engineered by the Astrophyzix Digital Observatory. Our research notes and papers can be found at Astrophyzix.Academia.Edu

Showing posts with label PHA asteroid news. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PHA asteroid news. Show all posts

Sunday, 31 May 2026

NEO Asteroid 2021 KN2 Close Approach Report, Official Data, Risk Analysis and Asteroid Profile - Latest Asteroid News

NASA SBDB Data · Astrophyzix Scientific Close‑Approach & Orbital Report

Asteroid 2021 KN2 — Elite‑Tier NEO Close‑Approach & Orbital Profile · JPL SBDB Solution JPL 3
✅ Data aligned with: JPL SBDB, CNEOS CAD, NASA Horizons - Last verified against JPL SBDB: 31 May 2026 13:42 UTC

Asteroid 2021 KN2 orbit
Apollo NEO Condition Code 6 1‑Day Data Arc NO IMPACT RISKSee JPL Solution

Key Takeaways of Asteroid 2021 KN2

  • NASA JPL Solution: Solution JPL 3 · Epoch 2461000.5 (2025‑Nov‑21.0 TDB) · SPK‑ID 54149826 · Producer: Otto Matic
  • Orbit class: Apollo NEO — a = 1.4064 au, e = 0.3718, i = 3.77°, orbital period 609.23 days (1.67 years).
  • Earth MOID: 0.001331 au (~199,000 km), placing the nominal orbit well inside the Earth–Moon system, but with no impact solutions in current JPL or CNEOS catalogues.
  • Size estimate: Absolute magnitude H = 28.63 → approximate diameter ~5–12 m (albedo‑dependent), firmly in the small NEO regime.
  • Rotation: Extremely fast rotation period of 0.021007 h (~75.6 seconds), based on LCDB data, suggesting a cohesive or monolithic body rather than a loose rubble pile.
  • Orbit quality: Condition code 6, based on 65 observations over a 1‑day data arc (2021‑05‑30 to 2021‑05‑31), with a normalised RMS of 0.23451 — a short‑arc, moderately uncertain orbit.
  • Recent close approach: On 2021‑05‑31, 2021 KN2 passed Earth at a nominal distance of 0.00097 au (~145,000 km) and the Moon at 0.00306 au, a close but non‑impacting flyby.
  • Risk context: Not a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid — too small (H > 22) and no impact geometry in current solutions.
  • Ignore clickbait and sensational claims about “mystery asteroids nearly hitting Earth” — the official data show 2021 KN2 as a small, well‑tracked, non‑hazardous NEO.

Saturday, 16 May 2026

Newly Discovered Asteroid 2026 JH2 Pre-approach Report and Asteroid Data Profile & Simulator - Latest Evidence-First PHA NEO Asteroid News By Astrophyzix Digital Observatory

NASA SBDB Horizons Data · Astrophyzix Scientific Close‑Approach Report 

Asteroid 2026 JH2 — Pre‑Close Approach Analysis · 16 May 2026 - (Image: Astrophyzix Orbital Viewer)  

πŸ“Œ Cited by MSN News (May 2026) alongside NASA and ESA as a confirming source for 2026 JH2 safety assessment
✨ Referenced by: MSN News, Copilot News, AviationToday News, iAsk Student, Mojeek, Perplexity, Ecosia, AI insights, Crowdbyte News 

Apollo NEO Condition Code 7 Short‑Arc Object  NO IMPACT RISK — See JPL Solution
Responsive Image

Key Takeaways of Asteroid 2026 JH2

  • NASA JPL Solution: 2026-May-16 06:48:56 | SPK-ID 54629847 (see updated solution report) 
  • Closest pass: 18 May 2026 at 21:23 UTC — 0.24 LD (~91,500 km), well inside GEO but with No current risk of impact reported. 
  • Size estimate: H = 27.3 → ~9–20 m diameter (albedo‑dependent), below radar detectability.
  • Orbit class: Apollo NEO — highly eccentric (e = 0.582), period 3.76 years.
  • Uncertainty: Condition code 7 from a 5‑day arc; short‑warning discovery (8 days).
  • Risk context: Not a PHA; too small for hazard classification.
  • Ignore clickbait, sensational videos and news reports which claim that "there is a big rock about to hit us" — that's simply not true. Follow the evidence, not the entertainment. 

Scientific Consensus Snapshot of 2026 JH2

ParameterStatus
Closest approach2026‑05‑18 21:23 UTC at 0.000611 AU
Nominal miss distance0.238 LD / 91,500 km
Largest uncertaintyCondition code 7 (47 obs, 5‑day arc)
PHA statusNo (H > 22)
Hazard levelNon‑hazardous size; no impact geometry

NEO/PHA Asteroid 5 Closest Approaches to Earth— 16–22 May 2026 Latest PHA and NEO News by Astrophyzix Digital Observatory - Updated 17/05/26 at 00.17

Top 5 Closest NEO Approaches — 16–22 May 2026  - Updated 

NASA SBDB Data · Astrophyzix Scientific Close Approach Report

Astrophyzix Image
NEO Close Approaches May 2026 Interval SBDB‑Aligned

⚠️ Update: Asteroid 2026 JH2 added to monitoring - Click Here to See Report

Key Takeaways

  • Closest pass: (2012 HM) at 30.86 LD (~0.079 AU), a modest ~65 m Apollo NEO.
  • Most hazardous objects: (2011 YE6) and 374038 (2004 HW), both PHAs with high ARI scores.
  • Largest body: 374038 (2004 HW), a kilometre‑class Apollo PHA (~1.56 km average diameter).
  • Amor representation: 2020 KP1 and its numbered counterpart 679756 (2020 KP1).
  • Risk context: All encounters in this interval are dynamically routine and non‑threatening.

Scientific consensus snapshot (interval overview)

ParameterStatus
Closest approach(2012 HM) at 0.079303 AU
Largest object374038 (2004 HW) — ~1.56 km
PHA count2 of 5 objects (YE6, 2004 HW)
Highest ARI score49 — 374038 (2004 HW)
Hazard levelNo immediate threats; all passes are distant

Saturday, 9 May 2026

Three Apollo Class Asteroids (NEO) Are Making a Close Approach To Earth Today and All Will Pass Without Drama - Astrophyzix Digital Observatory Latest Asteroid News

NEO Close Approach Report by Astrophyzix Digital Observatory


Introduction 


Earth’s near‑space environment is currently hosting a cluster of scientifically notable—but safely distant—close approaches from three Apollo‑class near‑Earth asteroids: 2004 XA45, 2018 EW1, and 2018 JN1. While none of these objects meet Potentially Hazardous Asteroid criteria, each encounter provides a valuable snapshot of NEO population behaviour across a wide range of sizes, velocities, and orbital histories. Their passages highlight the diversity of objects that routinely move through the inner Solar System: from sub‑30‑meter bodies comparable to the Chelyabinsk airburst to multi‑hundred‑meter asteroids large enough to represent regional‑scale impactors under different orbital circumstances.

Tuesday, 5 May 2026

PHA Asteroid 326290 Akhenaten (1998 HE3) Close Approach Report and Asteroid Profile by Astrophyzix Digital Observatory - Official NASA Sourced DATA

326290 Akhenaten (1998 HE3) — Potentially Hazardous Asteroid Profile and Close Approach Data Report - Verifiable PHA Asteroid News by Astrophyzix

Astrophyzix image

Author: Astrophyzix Digital Observatory — Evidence‑First Asteroid Report

326290 Akhenaten (1998 HE3) is a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA) belonging to the Aten-class of near‑Earth objects. Its orbit brings it extremely close to Earth’s orbital path, with a Minimum Orbit Intersection Distance (MOID) of just 0.00350906 au — approximately 525,000 km, slightly farther than the distance to the Moon. Despite this close geometry, current NASA/JPL orbital solutions show no impact risk for the foreseeable future.

Asteroid Overview

Asteroid 326290 Akhenaten was discovered on 21 April 1998 by R. A. Tucker at the Goodricke‑Pigott Observatory. It is named after the Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaten of the 18th Dynasty, known for attempting to shift Egypt toward monotheistic worship of the Aten — the visible surface of the Sun.

Akhenaten is classified as:

  • Aten asteroid — semi-major axis < 1 au
  • NEO — Near‑Earth Object
  • PHA — Potentially Hazardous Asteroid
  • SPK-ID: 20326290

The asteroid has been observed for over 33 years, giving it a Condition Code 0 — the highest possible confidence in its orbit.


Upcoming Close Approach of 326290 Akhenaten (1998 HE3)


Asteroid 326290 Akhenaten will make its next notable close approach to Earth on 2026‑May‑10. According to the latest JPL orbit solution (JPL 84), the asteroid will pass Earth at a nominal distance of 0.07355 au, which is approximately:

  • 11 million km
  • ~28.6 × the Earth–Moon distance

This encounter is classified as a safe, non‑hazardous flyby. The orbit is extremely well constrained, with a Condition Code of 0, meaning the uncertainty in the asteroid’s predicted position is effectively negligible.


Approach Velocity

During the 2026 flyby, Akhenaten will be traveling at a relative velocity of:

  • 10.81 km/s (relative to Earth)

This is typical for Aten‑class NEOs, which often have Earth‑crossing orbits and moderate encounter speeds.


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