Key Facts
- Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge (0.93 km diameter)
- Will pass within 14,596,311 km of Earth in 2019
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
- See orbit simulation
Overview
153814 (2001 WN5) is a small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2001 WN5 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.
2001 WN5 orbits the sun every 818 days (2.24 years), coming as close as 0.91 AU and reaching as far as 2.51 AU from the sun. 2001 WN5 is about 0.9 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than ~97% of asteroids but small compared to large asteroids, comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge.
The rotation of 2001 WN5 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 4.25 hours.
Close Approaches
2001 WN5's orbit is 0.00 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that its orbit is relatively close to Earth's orbit.
2001 WN5 has 12 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Aug. 27, 2019 | 14,596,311 | 8.350 |
| June 26, 2028 | 248,716 | 10.243 |
| Aug. 2, 2052 | 15,215,682 | 8.341 |
| Sept. 20, 2076 | 9,543,786 | 8.676 |
| June 12, 2087 | 24,359,763 | 14.923 |
| Oct. 3, 2100 | 6,313,190 | 10.155 |
| June 20, 2111 | 11,153,381 | 12.305 |
| Oct. 9, 2124 | 10,028,544 | 11.564 |
| June 24, 2135 | 5,913,214 | 11.259 |
| Oct. 3, 2148 | 6,209,950 | 9.972 |
| Aug. 28, 2172 | 15,592,726 | 8.338 |
| July 8, 2196 | 7,433,927 | 8.788 |
Images and Observations
2001 WN5's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Feb. 10, 1996. It was last officially observed on Feb. 12, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 998 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 WN5:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 1.712 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.4669
- Inclination: 1.92°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 277.39°
- Argument of Periapsis: 44.65°
- Mean Anomaly: 294.45°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: 0.93200 km
- Magnitude: 18.29
- Albedo: 0.097
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 818 days (2.24 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 22.77 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 2.51 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.91 AU
- Rotation Period: 4.25 hours
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 153814 (2001 WN5) 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 WN5 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.
