21374 (1997 WS22)

Mid-sized Amor-class Asteroid

Near-Earth
Space Reference » Amor-class Asteroids » 21374 (1997 WS22)

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Amor-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge
  • Will pass within 16,527,326 km of Earth in 2024
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

21374 (1997 WS22) is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit approaches the orbit of Earth but does not cross it. NASA JPL has classified 1997 WS22 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.

1997 WS22 orbits the sun every 522 days (1.43 years), coming as close as 1.12 AU and reaching as far as 1.42 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 1997 WS22 is probably between 0.852 to 1.906 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge.

The rotation of 1997 WS22 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 3.41 hours.

Close Approaches

1997 WS22's orbit is 0.11 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.

1997 WS22 has 7 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
May 21, 2024 16,527,326 12.314
May 22, 2034 21,051,540 12.315
May 21, 2097 28,755,940 13.296
May 23, 2107 19,900,958 12.674
May 22, 2117 16,402,035 12.359
May 23, 2127 19,283,797 12.283
May 23, 2137 27,514,663 12.479

Images and Observations

1997 WS22's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Sept. 22, 1974. It was last officially observed on July 1, 2021. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,352 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 1997 WS22:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 1.269 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1206
  • Inclination: 23.98°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 59.2°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 197.23°
  • Mean Anomaly: 173.64°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~1.100 km
  • Magnitude: 17.47

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 522 days (1.43 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 26.45 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 1.42 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.12 AU
  • Rotation Period: 3.41 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 21374 (1997 WS22) 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 above comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of 1997 WS22 to create an approximate landscape rendering with Mount Everest in the background. This approximation is built for full-resolution desktop browsers. Shape, color, and texture of asteroid are imagined.