102873 (1999 WK11)

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Amor-class Asteroid
• Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge
• Will pass within 23,065,809 km of Earth in 2061
• Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
• Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
• See orbit simulation

Overview

102873 (1999 WK11) is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit approaches the orbit of Earth but does not cross it. NASA JPL has classified 1999 WK11 as a "Near Earth Asteroid" due to its orbit's proximity to Earth, but it is not considered potentially hazardous because computer simulations have not indicated any imminent likelihood of future collision.

1999 WK11 orbits the sun every 1,140 days (3.12 years), coming as close as 1.14 AU and reaching as far as 3.13 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 1999 WK11 is probably between 0.792 to 1.770 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge.

The rotation of 1999 WK11 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 2.41 hours.

Close Approaches

1999 WK11's orbit is 0.15 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is a wide berth between this asteroid and Earth at all times.

1999 WK11 has 4 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Images and Observations

1999 WK11's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Sept. 30, 1980. It was last officially observed on Jan. 22, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 329 observations used to determine its orbit.

Accessibility and Exploration

This asteroid is not considered a viable target for human exploration by the NHATS study.

Similar Objects

These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 1999 WK11:

• 1706 Dieckvoss (1931 TS)
• 2335 James (1974 UB)
• 3392 Setouchi (1979 YB)

References

• JPL Small Body Database
• Mission Design
• Sky Finder Chart

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 102873 (1999 WK11) is indicated by a ◯ pink circle. Note that the object may not be in your current field of view. Use the controls below to adjust position, location, and time.

Size Rendering

The above comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of 1999 WK11 to create an approximate landscape rendering with Mount Everest in the background. This approximation is built for full-resolution desktop browsers. Shape, color, and texture of asteroid are imagined.