106538 (2000 WK63)

Mid-sized Apollo-class Asteroid

Near-Earth
Space Reference » Apollo-class Asteroids » 106538 (2000 WK63)

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to Mount Everest
  • Will pass within 20,882,679 km of Earth in 2115
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

106538 (2000 WK63) is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2000 WK63 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.

2000 WK63 orbits the sun every 1,370 days (3.75 years), coming as close as 0.57 AU and reaching as far as 4.27 AU from the sun. Its orbit is highly elliptical. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2000 WK63 is probably between 1.474 to 3.296 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to Mount Everest.

The rotation of 2000 WK63 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 51.20 hours.

Close Approaches

2000 WK63's orbit is 0.13 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.

2000 WK63 has 4 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Jan. 14, 2115 20,882,679 26.867
July 28, 2126 16,007,450 25.692
Jan. 27, 2164 13,593,159 21.128
July 29, 2183 26,070,040 27.392

Images and Observations

2000 WK63's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Nov. 26, 2000. It was last officially observed on Nov. 19, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,031 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 2000 WK63:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.42 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.7655
  • Inclination: 10.33°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 163.38°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 41.76°
  • Mean Anomaly: 327.73°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~1.903 km
  • Magnitude: 16.28

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,370 days (3.75 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 19.22 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 4.27 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.57 AU
  • Rotation Period: 51.20 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 106538 (2000 WK63) 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 2000 WK63 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.