Key Facts
- Categorized as a Aten-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a football field
- Will pass within 19,402,953 km of Earth in 2025
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
469737 (2005 NW44) is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2005 NW44 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.
2005 NW44 orbits the sun every 251 days (0.69 years), coming as close as 0.40 AU and reaching as far as 1.16 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2005 NW44 is probably between 0.222 to 0.497 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a football field.
The rotation of 2005 NW44 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 31.50 hours.
Close Approaches
2005 NW44's orbit is 0.05 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.
2005 NW44 has 45 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Aug. 19, 2025 | 19,402,953 | 15.296 |
| July 23, 2027 | 20,636,758 | 9.726 |
| June 15, 2029 | 10,984,764 | 13.235 |
| Aug. 19, 2036 | 13,350,051 | 13.751 |
| July 16, 2038 | 20,838,094 | 9.722 |
| June 15, 2040 | 16,412,310 | 14.674 |
| Aug. 19, 2047 | 9,000,488 | 12.164 |
| July 7, 2049 | 19,561,163 | 9.738 |
| June 17, 2051 | 24,245,604 | 16.516 |
| Aug. 17, 2058 | 9,767,431 | 10.929 |
| June 29, 2060 | 16,910,439 | 9.818 |
| Aug. 12, 2069 | 13,324,168 | 10.167 |
| June 23, 2071 | 13,224,405 | 10.120 |
| Aug. 7, 2080 | 16,298,327 | 9.855 |
| June 19, 2082 | 9,940,874 | 10.683 |
| Aug. 18, 2089 | 27,286,354 | 17.095 |
| Aug. 1, 2091 | 19,045,184 | 9.732 |
| June 16, 2093 | 7,734,428 | 11.724 |
| Aug. 20, 2100 | 19,103,735 | 15.169 |
| July 23, 2102 | 20,760,323 | 9.732 |
| June 16, 2104 | 11,289,921 | 13.381 |
| Aug. 21, 2111 | 11,671,491 | 13.181 |
| July 14, 2113 | 20,566,475 | 9.744 |
| June 17, 2115 | 18,633,067 | 15.230 |
| Aug. 20, 2122 | 8,981,493 | 11.772 |
| July 6, 2124 | 18,895,839 | 9.743 |
| June 18, 2126 | 26,083,968 | 16.962 |
| Aug. 17, 2133 | 10,727,669 | 10.698 |
| June 29, 2135 | 15,882,109 | 9.856 |
| Aug. 10, 2144 | 15,482,118 | 9.918 |
| June 21, 2146 | 10,714,649 | 10.497 |
| Aug. 19, 2153 | 28,289,936 | 17.322 |
| Aug. 3, 2155 | 18,751,319 | 9.753 |
| June 18, 2157 | 7,601,301 | 11.521 |
| Aug. 20, 2164 | 21,194,111 | 15.646 |
| July 26, 2166 | 20,442,310 | 9.744 |
| June 16, 2168 | 9,017,374 | 12.763 |
| Aug. 22, 2175 | 14,773,965 | 14.024 |
| July 18, 2177 | 20,924,701 | 9.736 |
| June 17, 2179 | 15,846,952 | 14.614 |
| Aug. 21, 2186 | 9,391,990 | 12.012 |
| July 7, 2188 | 19,167,736 | 9.730 |
| June 18, 2190 | 25,581,487 | 16.861 |
| Aug. 17, 2197 | 10,953,138 | 10.690 |
| June 29, 2199 | 15,873,243 | 9.872 |
Images and Observations
2005 NW44's orbit is determined by observations dating back to July 10, 2005. It was last officially observed on July 12, 2018. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 404 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 2005 NW44:References
Search
or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 0.7793 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.4832
- Inclination: 6.07°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 114.31°
- Argument of Periapsis: 0.91°
- Mean Anomaly: 331.41°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.287 km
- Magnitude: 20.39
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 251 days (0.69 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 33.78 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.16 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.40 AU
- Rotation Period: 31.50 hours
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 469737 (2005 NW44) 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 2005 NW44 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.
