Key Facts
- Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
- Will pass within 23,045,517 km of Earth in 2021
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
2014 WF201 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2014 WF201 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.
2014 WF201 orbits the sun every 426 days (1.17 years), coming as close as 0.99 AU and reaching as far as 1.23 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2014 WF201 is probably between 0.013 to 0.059 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
The rotation of 2014 WF201 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 0.47 hours.
Close Approaches
2014 WF201's orbit is 0.02 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is an wide berth between this asteroid and Earth at all times.
2014 WF201 has 8 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| July 1, 2021 | 23,045,517 | 4.637 |
| Nov. 24, 2021 | 5,036,727 | 5.457 |
| June 1, 2028 | 28,705,008 | 5.375 |
| Nov. 16, 2055 | 11,678,270 | 4.667 |
| July 1, 2062 | 23,528,556 | 4.643 |
| Nov. 25, 2062 | 6,108,210 | 5.580 |
| June 20, 2096 | 25,092,339 | 4.945 |
| Nov. 28, 2096 | 15,193,943 | 6.809 |
Images and Observations
2014 WF201's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Nov. 23, 2014. It was last officially observed on Dec. 30, 2014. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 131 observations used to determine its orbit.
Accessibility and Exploration
2014 WF201 can be reached with a journey of 370 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 6.911 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 69,897 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2014 WF201.
Similar Objects
These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 2014 WF201:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2459396.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 1.109 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.1093
- Inclination: 8.5°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 63.2°
- Argument of Periapsis: 325.93°
- Mean Anomaly: 261.5°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.036 km
- Magnitude: 25.6
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 426 days (1.17 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 28.32 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.23 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.99 AU
- Rotation Period: 0.47 hours
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 2014 WF201 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 2014 WF201 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.
