Key Facts
- Categorized as a Aten-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
- Will pass within 15,352,956 km of Earth in 2020
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
2023 DW is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2023 DW 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 DW orbits the sun every 271 days (0.74 years), coming as close as 0.50 AU and reaching as far as 1.14 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2023 DW is probably between 0.036 to 0.081 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
Close Approaches
2023 DW'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.
2023 DW has 33 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Feb. 15, 2020 | 15,352,956 | 13.783 |
| Feb. 18, 2023 | 8,726,722 | 9.151 |
| March 16, 2026 | 23,130,661 | 8.476 |
| April 15, 2029 | 22,157,507 | 8.316 |
| May 4, 2032 | 15,109,028 | 10.815 |
| Feb. 14, 2046 | 4,730,183 | 11.601 |
| Feb. 25, 2049 | 15,502,088 | 8.470 |
| March 23, 2052 | 24,317,845 | 8.481 |
| April 21, 2055 | 20,717,559 | 8.326 |
| May 5, 2058 | 15,722,258 | 11.313 |
| Feb. 15, 2072 | 11,798,455 | 13.046 |
| Feb. 19, 2075 | 9,743,713 | 9.020 |
| March 16, 2078 | 23,020,081 | 8.463 |
| April 13, 2081 | 22,693,194 | 8.307 |
| May 4, 2084 | 15,006,842 | 10.265 |
| May 4, 2087 | 27,113,846 | 15.127 |
| Feb. 16, 2098 | 19,334,882 | 14.641 |
| Feb. 17, 2101 | 4,603,013 | 9.795 |
| March 12, 2104 | 22,077,128 | 8.415 |
| April 13, 2107 | 23,142,466 | 8.321 |
| May 5, 2110 | 15,012,013 | 10.327 |
| May 4, 2113 | 29,586,379 | 15.756 |
| Feb. 16, 2124 | 4,329,447 | 11.517 |
| Feb. 28, 2127 | 16,384,117 | 8.416 |
| March 27, 2130 | 24,555,198 | 8.455 |
| April 25, 2133 | 19,789,216 | 8.375 |
| May 6, 2136 | 16,900,202 | 11.930 |
| Feb. 15, 2150 | 6,824,840 | 12.011 |
| April 17, 2159 | 22,508,484 | 8.293 |
| May 6, 2162 | 15,082,739 | 10.293 |
| May 5, 2165 | 26,301,715 | 14.917 |
| Feb. 18, 2176 | 25,140,165 | 15.900 |
| Feb. 16, 2179 | 2,056,778 | 11.068 |
Images and Observations
2023 DW's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Feb. 26, 2023. It was last officially observed on March 19, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 123 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 2023 DW:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 0.82 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.3962
- Inclination: 5.81°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 326.1°
- Argument of Periapsis: 40.46°
- Mean Anomaly: 25.59°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.047 km
- Magnitude: 24.33
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 271 days (0.74 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 32.92 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.14 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.50 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 2023 DW 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 DW 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.
