Key Facts

Overview

137099 (1998 YW3) is a small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 1998 YW3 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.

1998 YW3 orbits the sun every 421 days (1.15 years), coming as close as 0.59 AU and reaching as far as 1.61 AU from the sun. 1998 YW3 is about 0.6 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than ~97% of asteroids but small compared to large asteroids, comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge.

No Close Approaches

1998 YW3's orbit is 0.39 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.

Orbital simulations conducted by NASA JPL's CNEOS do not show any close approaches to Earth.

Images and Observations

1998 YW3's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Dec. 17, 1998. It was last officially observed on Feb. 3, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 633 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 1998 YW3:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 1.1 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.4626
  • Inclination: 28.79°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 94.27°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 194.84°
  • Mean Anomaly: 307.44°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 0.56400 km
  • Magnitude: 18.29
  • Albedo: 0.291

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 421 days (1.15 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 28.43 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 1.61 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.59 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 137099 (1998 YW3) 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 1998 YW3 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.