Key Facts
- Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a basketball court
- Will pass within 18,644,286 km of Earth in 2039
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
- See orbit simulation
Overview
2003 WH166 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2003 WH166 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.
2003 WH166 orbits the sun every 984 days (2.69 years), coming as close as 0.86 AU and reaching as far as 3.02 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2003 WH166 is probably between 0.106 to 0.237 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a basketball court.
Close Approaches
2003 WH166's orbit is 0.00 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that its orbit is relatively close to Earth's orbit.
2003 WH166 has 10 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Feb. 11, 2039 | 18,644,286 | 9.966 |
| Dec. 24, 2065 | 21,562,494 | 16.454 |
| March 22, 2074 | 16,562,303 | 9.760 |
| Dec. 28, 2100 | 16,205,932 | 15.327 |
| March 29, 2109 | 14,762,807 | 9.768 |
| Dec. 24, 2135 | 27,459,298 | 17.567 |
| March 7, 2144 | 19,654,130 | 10.027 |
| May 8, 2152 | 29,668,331 | 18.078 |
| Feb. 18, 2179 | 19,246,561 | 10.013 |
| May 5, 2187 | 21,566,579 | 16.411 |
Images and Observations
2003 WH166's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Nov. 19, 2003. It was last officially observed on May 27, 2012. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 177 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 2003 WH166:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 1.936 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.5574
- Inclination: 0.7°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 185.69°
- Argument of Periapsis: 329.41°
- Mean Anomaly: 95.66°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.137 km
- Magnitude: 22.0
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 984 days (2.69 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 21.40 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 3.02 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.86 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 2003 WH166 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 below comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of 2003 WH166 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.
