141447 (2002 CW59)

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Amor-class Asteroid
• Comparable in size to the U.S. Pentagon
• Will pass within 29,876,274 km of Earth in 2186
• Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
• Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
• See orbit simulation

Overview

141447 (2002 CW59) is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit approaches the orbit of Earth but does not cross it. NASA JPL has classified 2002 CW59 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.

2002 CW59 orbits the sun every 1,350 days (3.70 years), coming as close as 1.19 AU and reaching as far as 3.59 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2002 CW59 is probably between 0.997 to 2.229 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the U.S. Pentagon.

Close Approaches

2002 CW59's orbit is 0.20 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.

2002 CW59 has 1 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Images and Observations

2002 CW59's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Feb. 13, 2002. It was last officially observed on Sept. 6, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 157 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 2002 CW59:

• 7 Iris (A847 PA)
• 9 Metis (A848 HA)
• 60 Echo (A860 RB)

References

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

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 141447 (2002 CW59) 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 2002 CW59 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.