Key Facts

Overview

101466 (1998 WJ15) is a large asteroid that shares Jupiter's orbit around the sun. NASA JPL has not classified 1998 WJ15 as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

1998 WJ15 orbits the sun every 4,340 days (11.88 years), coming as close as 4.80 AU and reaching as far as 5.62 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 1998 WJ15 is probably between 9.090 to 20.325 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the city of Cleveland, Ohio.

No Close Approaches

1998 WJ15's orbit is 3.82 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.

Images and Observations

1998 WJ15's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Nov. 21, 1998. It was last officially observed on March 28, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 870 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 1998 WJ15:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 5.21 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.0783
  • Inclination: 11.94°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 81.95°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 325.9°
  • Mean Anomaly: 30.99°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~11.735 km
  • Magnitude: 12.33

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 4,340 days (11.88 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 13.06 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 5.62 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 4.80 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 101466 (1998 WJ15) 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.