2006 JY26
A small horseshoe companion to Earth with a potential 2074 impact.
Last updated
2006 JY26 is a very small near-Earth object that orbits in the inner Solar System. It is notable as a horseshoe companion to the Earth, similar to 3753 Cruithne.
Discovery, orbit and physical properties
Discovered by E. J. Christensen on May 6, 2006, during the Catalina Sky Survey, 2006 JY26 has a low-eccentricity orbit (0.083) with a slight inclination of 1.44 degrees and a semi-major axis of 1.01 AU. The Minor Planet Center first labeled it an Apollo asteroid and an Earth crosser. Its orbit relies on 76 observations over four days.
With an absolute magnitude of 28.4, the asteroid is roughly 9 meters across. The Sentry Risk Table gives it a 1-in-210 chance of hitting Earth on May 3, 2074, when its nominal path puts it 0.0099 AU away. Any impact would be weaker than the Chelyabinsk event.
Did You Know?
- 2006 JY26 had a close encounter with Earth on 10 May 2006 at 0.0029 AU.
- Its orbital evolution is very chaotic and difficult to predict beyond a few hundred years.
- It may have originated in the Venus–Earth–Mars region or the main asteroid belt.
More in Potential Impact Events Caused by near-Earth Objects
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: 2006 JY26 (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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