2018 WG

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
• Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
• Will pass within 18,245,925 km of Earth in 2019
• Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
• Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
• See orbit simulation

Overview

2018 WG is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2018 WG 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.

2018 WG orbits the sun every 373 days (1.02 years), coming as close as 0.67 AU and reaching as far as 1.35 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2018 WG is probably between 0.004 to 0.008 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.

Close Approaches

2018 WG's orbit is 0.00 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that its orbit is very close to Earth's orbit.

2018 WG has 7 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Images and Observations

2018 WG's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Nov. 17, 2018. It was last officially observed on Nov. 18, 2018. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 78 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 2018 WG:

• 4581 Asclepius (1989 FC)
• 10563 Izhdubar (1993 WD)
• 54509 YORP (2000 PH5)

References

• JPL Small Body Database
• Mission Design
• Sky Finder Chart

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 2018 WG 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.