Key Facts
- Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to the island of Manhattan (4.00 km diameter)
- Will pass within 16,200,318 km of Earth in 2039
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
- See orbit simulation
Overview
Wilson-Harrington is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified Wilson-Harrington as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.
Wilson-Harrington orbits the sun every 1,550 days (4.24 years), coming as close as 0.97 AU and reaching as far as 4.28 AU from the sun. Wilson-Harrington is about 4.0 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the island of Manhattan.
The rotation of Wilson-Harrington has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 3.57 hours.
Close Approaches
Wilson-Harrington's orbit is 0.04 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.
Wilson-Harrington has 4 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 31, 2039 | 16,200,318 | 12.130 |
| Aug. 18, 2082 | 16,129,440 | 11.930 |
| Oct. 30, 2155 | 14,313,474 | 11.154 |
| Sept. 11, 2198 | 8,576,899 | 8.806 |
Images and Observations
Wilson-Harrington's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Nov. 19, 1949. It was last officially observed on April 18, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,524 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 Wilson-Harrington:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 2.625 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.6316
- Inclination: 2.8°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 266.76°
- Argument of Periapsis: 95.47°
- Mean Anomaly: 89.08°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: 4.00000 km
- Magnitude: 16.18
- Albedo: 0.05
- Spectral type (Tholen): CF
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 1,550 days (4.24 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 18.42 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 4.28 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.97 AU
- Rotation Period: 3.57 hours
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of Wilson-Harrington 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 Wilson-Harrington 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.
