Key Facts

Overview

Wilkerson is a mid-sized asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter in the main portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified Wilkerson as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

Wilkerson orbits the sun every 2,090 days (5.72 years), coming as close as 2.71 AU and reaching as far as 3.68 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, Wilkerson is probably between 5.477 to 12.247 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

No Close Approaches

Wilkerson's orbit is 1.73 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is an extremely 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

Wilkerson's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Nov. 11, 1955. It was last officially observed on June 25, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,855 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 Wilkerson:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.195 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1518
  • Inclination: 7.84°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 283.76°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 155.73°
  • Mean Anomaly: 283.66°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~7.071 km
  • Magnitude: 13.43

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 2,090 days (5.72 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 16.63 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.68 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.71 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Wilkerson 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.