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