16971 (1998 WJ3) is a mid-sized asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter in the main portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified 1998 WJ3 as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.
1998 WJ3 orbits the sun every 1,610 days (4.41 years), coming as close as 2.39 AU and reaching as far as 2.99 AU from the sun. 1998 WJ3 is about 7.7 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.
The rotation of 1998 WJ3 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 43.11 hours.
1998 WJ3's orbit is 1.44 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.
1998 WJ3's orbit is determined by observations dating back to July 23, 1974. It was last officially observed on June 30, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,845 observations used to determine its orbit.
The position of 16971 (1998 WJ3) 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.