2017 WZ12 is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2017 WZ12 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.
2017 WZ12 orbits the sun every 294 days (0.80 years), coming as close as 0.69 AU and reaching as far as 1.04 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2017 WZ12 is probably between 0.007 to 0.032 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
2017 WZ12's orbit is 0.03 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.
2017 WZ12 has 1 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Nov. 1, 2021 | 10,948,447 | 7.151 |
2017 WZ12's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Nov. 19, 2017. It was last officially observed on Dec. 8, 2017. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 29 observations used to determine its orbit.
2017 WZ12 can be reached with a journey of 210 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 9.018 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 43,656 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2017 WZ12.
The position of 2017 WZ12 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.