2015 HW214

Very small Inner Main-belt Asteroid

Space Reference » Inner Main-belt Asteroids » 2015 HW214

Key Facts

Overview

2015 HW214 is a very small asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter within the inner portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified 2015 HW214 as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

2015 HW214 orbits the sun every 938 days (2.57 years), coming as close as 1.80 AU and reaching as far as 1.95 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2015 HW214 is probably between 0.375 to 0.840 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 90% of asteroids but tiny compared to large asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge.

No Close Approaches

2015 HW214's orbit is 0.80 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is a very 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

2015 HW214's orbit is determined by observations dating back to April 23, 2015. It was last officially observed on Dec. 3, 2021. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 64 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 2015 HW214:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 1.875 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.0422
  • Inclination: 21.24°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 216.78°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 190.28°
  • Mean Anomaly: 264.66°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.485 km
  • Magnitude: 19.25

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 938 days (2.57 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 21.75 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 1.95 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.80 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 2015 HW214 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 2015 HW214 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.