441641 (2008 WZ13)

Small Apollo-class Asteroid

Near-Earth Potentially Hazardous
Space Reference » Apollo-class Asteroids » 441641 (2008 WZ13)

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge
  • Will pass within 24,018,216 km of Earth in 2043
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

441641 (2008 WZ13) is a small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2008 WZ13 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2008 WZ13 orbits the sun every 1,030 days (2.82 years), coming as close as 0.87 AU and reaching as far as 3.12 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2008 WZ13 is probably between 0.502 to 1.122 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than ~97% of asteroids but small compared to large asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge.

Close Approaches

2008 WZ13'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.

2008 WZ13 has 7 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
March 21, 2043 24,018,216 10.581
May 21, 2074 6,404,813 13.724
March 27, 2091 23,445,597 10.629
May 26, 2139 11,746,860 14.686
April 22, 2156 17,932,478 10.634
Feb. 21, 2173 21,921,302 10.796
Feb. 9, 2190 22,285,320 12.692

Images and Observations

2008 WZ13's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Nov. 20, 2008. It was last officially observed on Dec. 24, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 376 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 2008 WZ13:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 1.995 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.5626
  • Inclination: 8.2°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 51.73°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 133.94°
  • Mean Anomaly: 25.79°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.648 km
  • Magnitude: 18.62

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,030 days (2.82 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 21.07 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.12 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.87 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 441641 (2008 WZ13) 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 2008 WZ13 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.