Key Facts
- Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to the U.S. Capitol building (0.42 km diameter)
- Will pass within 14,954,631 km of Earth in 2027
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
- See orbit simulation
Overview
207945 (1991 JW) is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 1991 JW as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.
1991 JW orbits the sun every 387 days (1.06 years), coming as close as 0.92 AU and reaching as far as 1.16 AU from the sun. 1991 JW is about 0.4 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 90% of asteroids but tiny compared to large asteroids, comparable in size to the U.S. Capitol building.
The rotation of 1991 JW has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 3.15 hours.
Close Approaches
1991 JW's orbit is 0.02 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.
1991 JW has 26 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| May 19, 2027 | 14,954,631 | 4.952 |
| Nov. 30, 2028 | 20,121,494 | 8.829 |
| June 2, 2044 | 26,267,902 | 9.295 |
| April 26, 2045 | 24,476,935 | 5.009 |
| Oct. 22, 2045 | 18,336,797 | 4.918 |
| June 3, 2062 | 17,639,596 | 7.705 |
| April 12, 2063 | 28,720,637 | 4.985 |
| Nov. 10, 2063 | 10,594,325 | 5.027 |
| June 1, 2080 | 28,106,051 | 9.663 |
| May 1, 2081 | 22,381,021 | 4.980 |
| Oct. 9, 2081 | 21,477,927 | 4.849 |
| May 22, 2099 | 12,993,501 | 5.023 |
| Nov. 29, 2100 | 15,383,830 | 8.012 |
| May 22, 2117 | 13,396,622 | 5.008 |
| Nov. 30, 2118 | 17,160,256 | 8.314 |
| June 3, 2134 | 29,339,000 | 9.878 |
| May 2, 2135 | 22,650,884 | 4.989 |
| Oct. 13, 2135 | 20,916,488 | 4.866 |
| June 3, 2152 | 17,808,766 | 7.727 |
| April 12, 2153 | 28,722,005 | 4.993 |
| Nov. 10, 2153 | 10,625,033 | 5.019 |
| June 3, 2170 | 24,891,694 | 9.076 |
| April 27, 2171 | 24,381,454 | 5.004 |
| Oct. 21, 2171 | 18,918,791 | 4.914 |
| May 19, 2189 | 14,720,574 | 4.961 |
| Dec. 1, 2190 | 17,953,739 | 8.459 |
Images and Observations
1991 JW's orbit is determined by observations dating back to April 16, 1955. It was last officially observed on May 23, 2011. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 353 observations used to determine its orbit.
Accessibility and Exploration
1991 JW can be reached with a journey of 362 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 7.122 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 150,606 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 1991 JW.
Similar Objects
These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 1991 JW:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 1.039 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.1186
- Inclination: 8.71°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 53.85°
- Argument of Periapsis: 301.95°
- Mean Anomaly: 79.92°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: 0.42300 km
- Magnitude: 19.6
- Albedo: 0.161
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 387 days (1.06 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 29.21 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.16 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.92 AU
- Rotation Period: 3.15 hours
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 207945 (1991 JW) 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 1991 JW 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.
