Key Facts
- Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a football field
- Will pass within 26,050,142 km of Earth in 2021
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
2010 WT8 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2010 WT8 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.
2010 WT8 orbits the sun every 451 days (1.23 years), coming as close as 0.82 AU and reaching as far as 1.48 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2010 WT8 is probably between 0.069 to 0.307 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a football field.
Close Approaches
2010 WT8's orbit is 0.07 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.
2010 WT8 has 25 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| April 10, 2021 | 26,050,142 | 7.520 |
| Feb. 6, 2026 | 22,751,510 | 12.280 |
| July 12, 2037 | 14,199,583 | 6.747 |
| April 15, 2042 | 26,642,980 | 7.701 |
| Feb. 7, 2047 | 20,727,203 | 11.788 |
| July 12, 2058 | 14,243,157 | 6.743 |
| April 13, 2063 | 26,392,649 | 7.647 |
| Feb. 6, 2068 | 23,810,148 | 12.517 |
| June 25, 2079 | 20,091,938 | 6.534 |
| March 19, 2084 | 21,941,319 | 6.484 |
| July 27, 2095 | 13,485,116 | 9.922 |
| April 23, 2100 | 27,240,537 | 7.896 |
| July 24, 2111 | 10,755,454 | 8.351 |
| March 16, 2116 | 20,916,871 | 6.235 |
| May 22, 2127 | 26,675,020 | 7.798 |
| Feb. 5, 2132 | 29,693,264 | 13.766 |
| July 18, 2138 | 12,732,568 | 7.062 |
| Feb. 19, 2143 | 12,417,983 | 7.368 |
| Aug. 4, 2149 | 24,809,360 | 12.625 |
| April 15, 2154 | 26,351,730 | 7.589 |
| June 6, 2165 | 24,440,000 | 7.248 |
| Feb. 8, 2170 | 21,015,243 | 11.783 |
| July 25, 2176 | 11,043,926 | 8.687 |
| March 10, 2181 | 19,440,193 | 6.052 |
| May 16, 2192 | 27,138,216 | 7.898 |
Images and Observations
2010 WT8's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Nov. 27, 2010. It was last officially observed on Oct. 11, 2021. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 109 observations used to determine its orbit.
Accessibility and Exploration
2010 WT8 can be reached with a journey of 426 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 10.654 km/s. To put this into perspective, the delta-v to launch a rocket to Low-Earth Orbit is 9.7 km/s. There are 2,451 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2010 WT8.
Similar Objects
These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 2010 WT8:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 1.152 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.2841
- Inclination: 4.54°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 58.36°
- Argument of Periapsis: 162.08°
- Mean Anomaly: 334.15°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.188 km
- Magnitude: 22.02
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 451 days (1.23 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 27.79 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.48 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.82 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 2010 WT8 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 2010 WT8 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.
