2002 MN

{{Infobox planet

| minorplanet = yes

| background = #FFC2E0

| name = 2002 MN

| mp_category = {{Hlist

}}

| discovery_ref = [https://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn2444 Asteroid's near-miss with Earth - 21 June 2002 - New Scientist]

| discoverer = MIT Lincoln Laboratory

| discovered = 17 June 2002

| orbit_ref =

| observation_arc = 22.04 yr

| epoch = 17 October 2024 (JD 2460600.5)

| semimajor = {{Convert|1.8162|AU|Gm|abbr=on}}

| perihelion = {{Convert|0.90867|AU|Gm|abbr=on}}

| aphelion = {{Convert|2.7238|AU|Gm|abbr=on|lk=on}}

| eccentricity = 0.49969

| period = 2.4477 yr (894.03 d)

| inclination = 1.0472°

| asc_node = 85.287°

| mean_anomaly = 62.941°

| arg_peri = 131.622°

| dimensions = ~{{convert|73|m|sp=us}}
(assumed){{efn|name=assumed}}

| mass = {{Val|5.4e8|u=kg}}

| abs_magnitude = 23.6

| mean_motion = 0.40267° / day

| uncertainty = 0

| moid = {{Convert|0.000488451|AU|km|abbr=on}}

| jupiter_moid = {{Convert|2.24448|AU|Gm|abbr=on}}

}}

2002 MN is the provisional designation given to a 73-meter Apollo near-Earth asteroid that on 14 June 2002 passed Earth at a distance of {{convert|0.0008|AU|km mi|abbr=on|lk=on}}, about one third the distance to the Moon (0.3 LD). The close approach was second only to the Earth approach by the 10-meter asteroid 1994 XM1. 2002 MN was discovered on 17 June 2002, three days after closest approach. Its mass and relative velocity were in the same general range as the object ascribed to the Tunguska event of 1908, which leveled over {{convert|800|mi2|km2|order=flip|abbr=on}} of trees in Siberia.

2002 MN was estimated to have a 1 in 360,000 chance of Earth impact sometime after 2070, but further observations in July 2024 ruled this out, and the object was removed from the risk list.

Notes

{{notelist|refs=

{{efn|name=assumed|1=Diameter estimate based on an assumed albedo of 0.15.}}

}}

References

{{reflist

| refs =

{{cite web

|title = JPL Close-Approach Data: (2002 MN)

|url = http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=2002MN;cad=1#cad

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240801122933/https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/tools/sbdb_lookup.html#/?sstr=2002%20MN&view=OPC

|archive-date = 1 August 2024

|url-status=live

|access-date = 3 August 2024

}}

{{cite web

|date=June 19, 2002

|title=Asteroid 2002 MN: Second Closest Asteroid Approach to Earth

|publisher=NASA's Near Earth Object Program Office

|author=Don Yeomans

|url=http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news130.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020805125835/http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news130.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 5, 2002}}

{{cite web

|title=Earth Impact Risk Summary: 2002 MN

|publisher=NASA/JPL Near-Earth Object Program Office

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180122042229/https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/sentry/details.html#?des=2002%20MN

|archive-date=2018-01-22

|url=https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/sentry/details.html#?des=2002%20MN}}

{{Cite web

|title=MPEC 2002-M14 : 2002 MN

|publisher=IAU Minor Planet Center

|date=2002-06-18

|url=http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/mpec/K02/K02M14.html

|access-date=2013-01-24}}