2020 WD is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2020 WD 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.
2020 WD orbits the sun every 738 days (2.02 years), coming as close as 0.98 AU and reaching as far as 2.21 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2020 WD is probably between 0.004 to 0.018 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
2020 WD's orbit is 0.00 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that its orbit is relatively close to Earth's orbit.
2020 WD has 3 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Nov. 12, 2020 | 2,653,563 | 6.211 |
| Nov. 8, 2022 | 1,151,989 | 5.951 |
| Nov. 29, 2024 | 17,531,576 | 9.543 |
NASA Sentry has assessed impact risk for 15 very close approach scenarios. Here are the top scenarios ordered by probability of impact:
| Date | Probability of Impact (%) | Impact Energy (Mt) |
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 5, 2103 | 0.00640 | 0.01143 |
| Sept. 30, 2085 | 0.00327 | 0.01142 |
| Nov. 2, 2091 | 0.00022 | 0.0114 |
| Oct. 4, 2120 | 0.00005 | 0.01145 |
| Nov. 8, 2055 | 0.00004 | 0.0114 |
| Nov. 6, 2107 | 0.00002 | 0.0114 |
| Nov. 8, 2098 | 0.00001 | 0.01141 |
| Sept. 30, 2098 | 0.00001 | 0.01141 |
| Nov. 6, 2099 | 0.00000 | 0.01142 |
| Oct. 3, 2116 | 0.00000 | 0.01145 |
| Sept. 30, 2096 | 0.00000 | 0.01141 |
| Oct. 1, 2120 | 0.00000 | 0.01141 |
| Nov. 11, 2111 | 0.00000 | 0.01142 |
| Oct. 1, 2114 | 0.00000 | 0.0114 |
| Oct. 1, 2113 | 0.00000 | 0.01142 |
2020 WD's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Nov. 16, 2020. It was last officially observed on Dec. 10, 2020. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 34 observations used to determine its orbit.
2020 WD can be reached with a journey of 298 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 9.742 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 1,774 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2020 WD.
The position of 2020 WD 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.