620101 (2017 MW7)

Very small Amor-class Asteroid

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Space Reference » Amor-class Asteroids » 620101 (2017 MW7)

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Amor-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to a football field
  • Will pass within 24,967,203 km of Earth in 2020
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

620101 (2017 MW7) is a very small asteroid whose orbit approaches the orbit of Earth but does not cross it. NASA JPL has classified 2017 MW7 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.

2017 MW7 orbits the sun every 545 days (1.49 years), coming as close as 1.10 AU and reaching as far as 1.52 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2017 MW7 is probably between 0.164 to 0.366 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a football field.

Close Approaches

2017 MW7's orbit is 0.09 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.

2017 MW7 has 12 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
July 29, 2020 24,967,203 11.900
July 28, 2023 14,727,227 11.689
July 26, 2026 15,482,227 11.984
July 24, 2029 26,535,775 12.795
July 30, 2102 23,690,719 11.832
July 29, 2105 14,195,868 11.692
July 27, 2108 16,371,469 12.054
July 26, 2111 27,870,388 12.928
July 30, 2184 22,756,704 11.789
July 29, 2187 13,872,447 11.701
July 27, 2190 17,032,731 12.103
July 25, 2193 28,865,538 13.027

Images and Observations

2017 MW7's orbit is determined by observations dating back to July 25, 2011. It was last officially observed on July 29, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 140 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 2017 MW7:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 1.306 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1611
  • Inclination: 22.48°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 123.03°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 200.57°
  • Mean Anomaly: 15.71°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.212 km
  • Magnitude: 21.05

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 545 days (1.49 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 26.07 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 1.52 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.10 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 620101 (2017 MW7) 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 2017 MW7 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.