55532 (2001 WG2)

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
• Comparable in size to the U.S. Pentagon (1.31 km diameter)
• Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
• Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
• See orbit simulation

Overview

55532 (2001 WG2) is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2001 WG2 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.

2001 WG2 orbits the sun every 878 days (2.40 years), coming as close as 0.55 AU and reaching as far as 3.04 AU from the sun. 2001 WG2 is about 1.3 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the U.S. Pentagon.

The rotation of 2001 WG2 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 46.08 hours.

2001 WG2's spectral type None (Tholen) / Sk (SMASSII) indicates that it is likely to contain and .

No Close Approaches

2001 WG2's orbit is 0.34 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.

Orbital simulations conducted by NASA JPL's CNEOS do not show any close approaches to Earth.

Images and Observations

2001 WG2's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Dec. 7, 1953. It was last officially observed on Dec. 22, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 700 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 2001 WG2:

• 2074 Shoemaker (1974 UA)
• 3635 Kreutz (1981 WO1)
• 5653 Camarillo (1992 WD5)

References

• JPL Small Body Database
• Mission Design
• Sky Finder Chart

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 55532 (2001 WG2) 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 2001 WG2 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.