16837 (1997 WM39)

Mid-sized Main-belt Asteroid

Space Reference » Main-belt Asteroids » 16837 (1997 WM39)

Key Facts

Overview

16837 (1997 WM39) is a mid-sized asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter in the main portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified 1997 WM39 as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

1997 WM39 orbits the sun every 1,360 days (3.72 years), coming as close as 2.06 AU and reaching as far as 2.74 AU from the sun. 1997 WM39 is about 2.0 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to Mount Everest.

No Close Approaches

1997 WM39's orbit is 1.08 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

1997 WM39's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Oct. 11, 1993. It was last officially observed on Sept. 23, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,361 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 1997 WM39:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.399 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1414
  • Inclination: 3.12°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 116.01°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 351.05°
  • Mean Anomaly: 308.5°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 2.01100 km
  • Magnitude: 15.55
  • Albedo: 0.229

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,360 days (3.72 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 19.19 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.74 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.06 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 16837 (1997 WM39) 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 1997 WM39 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.