48438 (1989 WJ2) is a large asteroid that shares Jupiter's orbit around the sun. NASA JPL has not classified 1989 WJ2 as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.
1989 WJ2 orbits the sun every 4,270 days (11.69 years), coming as close as 4.99 AU and reaching as far as 5.31 AU from the sun. 1989 WJ2 is about 36.1 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the city of Los Angeles.
The rotation of 1989 WJ2 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 17.67 hours.
1989 WJ2's orbit is 4.09 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.
1989 WJ2's orbit is determined by observations dating back to June 13, 1950. It was last officially observed on April 26, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,176 observations used to determine its orbit.
The position of 48438 (1989 WJ2) 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.