40246 (1998 WV18) is a large asteroid that orbits between Mars and Jupiter in the outer reaches of the main asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified 1998 WV18 as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.
1998 WV18 orbits the sun every 2,850 days (7.80 years), coming as close as 3.38 AU and reaching as far as 4.49 AU from the sun. 1998 WV18 is about 19.9 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the city of Denver.
1998 WV18's orbit is 2.40 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is an extremely wide berth between this asteroid and Earth at all times.
Orbital simulations conducted by NASA JPL's CNEOS do not show any close approaches to Earth.
1998 WV18's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Nov. 18, 1998. It was last officially observed on March 18, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,329 observations used to determine its orbit.
The position of 40246 (1998 WV18) 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.