Key Facts
- Categorized as a Aten-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
- Will pass within 17,810,943 km of Earth in 2022
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
2023 AW is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2023 AW 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.
2023 AW orbits the sun every 359 days (0.98 years), coming as close as 0.73 AU and reaching as far as 1.25 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2023 AW is probably between 0.012 to 0.055 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
Close Approaches
2023 AW's orbit is 0.01 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.
2023 AW has 8 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Jan. 4, 2022 | 17,810,943 | 11.868 |
| Dec. 31, 2022 | 1,484,791 | 8.356 |
| Jan. 2, 2024 | 16,171,586 | 5.316 |
| Jan. 28, 2025 | 28,796,510 | 5.919 |
| April 27, 2030 | 29,490,866 | 5.786 |
| May 26, 2031 | 16,877,320 | 5.224 |
| May 26, 2032 | 3,334,926 | 8.246 |
| May 22, 2033 | 16,915,857 | 11.532 |
Images and Observations
2023 AW's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Jan. 11, 2023. It was last officially observed on Jan. 26, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 25 observations used to determine its orbit.
Accessibility and Exploration
2023 AW can be reached with a journey of 442 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 8.075 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 205,525 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2023 AW.
Similar Objects
These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 2023 AW:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 0.9884 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.2654
- Inclination: 3.12°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 268.69°
- Argument of Periapsis: 86.59°
- Mean Anomaly: 329.76°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.034 km
- Magnitude: 25.74
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 359 days (0.98 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 29.95 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.25 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.73 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 2023 AW 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 2023 AW 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.
