Astronomy and Space

1998 KY26

1998 KY26 is a tiny near-Earth asteroid discovered by the University of Arizona's Spacewatch project on 28 May 1998. It measures 11 meters (36 feet) in diameter and rotates rapidly with a period of 5.35 minutes. It is the target of Japan's Hayabusa2 mission, which will visit the asteroid in July 2031. When the spacecraft arrives, 1998 KY26 will become the smallest asteroid visited by a spacecraft. 1998 KY26 is believed be to most likely a solid chunk of rock, resembling one of the boulders seen on large rubble pile asteroids like Itokawa and Ryugu. Telescope observations have shown it to be an E-type asteroid, whose surface is bright white and rich in enstatite. It shares a similar composition and orbital inclination as 44 Nysa, which suggests that they formed together from a catastrophic collision event. Due to 1998 KY26's small size, its rotation and orbit are gradually accelerated by sunlight-related forces, such as the Yarkovsky and YORP effects. Studies from 2025 have shown no evidence of cometary activity and anomalous acceleration in 1998 KY26, which disproves the 2023 speculation that it might be a dark comet.

Also on this shelf

See also

• ▸Aryabhata (satellite)
• ▸Farnese Atlas
• ▸Hurricane Milton

Uncatalogued shelf

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