141018 (2001 WC47) is a small asteroid whose orbit approaches the orbit of Earth but does not cross it. NASA JPL has classified 2001 WC47 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.
2001 WC47 orbits the sun every 604 days (1.65 years), coming as close as 1.06 AU and reaching as far as 1.74 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2001 WC47 is probably between 0.414 to 0.925 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than ~97% of asteroids but small compared to large asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge.
The rotation of 2001 WC47 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 16.51 hours.
2001 WC47's orbit is 0.08 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.
2001 WC47 has 8 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
---|---|---|
April 28, 2055 | 24,905,354 | 6.157 |
April 2, 2060 | 14,735,825 | 3.151 |
April 21, 2098 | 14,775,381 | 3.716 |
March 24, 2103 | 26,384,636 | 5.960 |
April 24, 2141 | 16,648,630 | 4.263 |
March 28, 2146 | 21,384,351 | 4.829 |
May 2, 2184 | 26,667,813 | 6.587 |
April 5, 2189 | 14,078,356 | 3.019 |
2001 WC47's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Dec. 7, 1991. It was last officially observed on Sept. 22, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,608 observations used to determine its orbit.
The position of 141018 (2001 WC47) 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.
The below comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of 2001 WC47 to create an approximate landscape rendering with New York City in the background. This approximation is built for full-resolution desktop browsers. Shape, color, and texture of asteroid are imagined.