Key Facts

Overview

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

Williamina orbits the sun every 1,360 days (3.72 years), coming as close as 1.82 AU and reaching as far as 2.98 AU from the sun. Williamina is about 9.3 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

The rotation of Williamina has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 196.45 hours.

No Close Approaches

Williamina's orbit is 0.84 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is a very 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

Williamina's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Jan. 19, 1972. It was last officially observed on July 5, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,230 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 Williamina:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.398 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.2414
  • Inclination: 24.63°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 282.06°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 170.8°
  • Mean Anomaly: 332.97°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 9.28300 km
  • Magnitude: 12.68
  • Albedo: 0.154

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,360 days (3.72 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 19.18 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.98 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.82 AU
  • Rotation Period: 196.45 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Williamina 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.