Key Facts
- Categorized as a Aten-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
- Will pass within 28,610,011 km of Earth in 2019
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
2021 WD3 is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2021 WD3 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.
2021 WD3 orbits the sun every 360 days (0.99 years), coming as close as 0.88 AU and reaching as far as 1.10 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2021 WD3 is probably between 0.014 to 0.060 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
Close Approaches
2021 WD3's orbit is 0.04 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.
2021 WD3 has 16 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Nov. 13, 2019 | 28,610,011 | 10.099 |
| Nov. 11, 2020 | 14,361,158 | 7.479 |
| Nov. 16, 2021 | 6,519,197 | 5.657 |
| Nov. 30, 2022 | 14,500,871 | 5.069 |
| July 26, 2023 | 27,671,521 | 4.926 |
| Dec. 26, 2023 | 23,206,150 | 4.979 |
| June 23, 2024 | 22,903,371 | 5.603 |
| May 28, 2025 | 15,933,611 | 5.563 |
| May 6, 2026 | 11,348,233 | 5.898 |
| April 21, 2027 | 17,429,676 | 7.411 |
| Nov. 11, 2077 | 22,527,900 | 8.948 |
| Nov. 13, 2078 | 9,388,935 | 6.588 |
| April 16, 2085 | 22,260,081 | 8.359 |
| Nov. 13, 2193 | 27,771,263 | 9.909 |
| Nov. 13, 2194 | 13,780,307 | 7.383 |
| Nov. 17, 2195 | 6,422,380 | 5.636 |
Images and Observations
2021 WD3's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Nov. 27, 2021. It was last officially observed on Dec. 5, 2021. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 28 observations used to determine its orbit.
Accessibility and Exploration
2021 WD3 can be reached with a journey of 378 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 7.084 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 321,872 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2021 WD3.
Similar Objects
These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 2021 WD3:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 0.9896 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.1067
- Inclination: 8.88°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 243.01°
- Argument of Periapsis: 55.68°
- Mean Anomaly: 50.37°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.037 km
- Magnitude: 25.55
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 360 days (0.99 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 29.91 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.10 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.88 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 2021 WD3 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 2021 WD3 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.
