8176 (1991 WA)

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
• Comparable in size to the U.S. Pentagon
• Will pass within 29,008,876 km of Earth in 2078
• Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
• Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
• See orbit simulation

Overview

8176 (1991 WA) is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 1991 WA as a "Near Earth Asteroid" due to its orbit's proximity to Earth, but it is not considered potentially hazardous because computer simulations have not indicated any imminent likelihood of future collision.

1991 WA orbits the sun every 722 days (1.98 years), coming as close as 0.56 AU and reaching as far as 2.59 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 1991 WA is probably between 1.044 to 2.334 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the U.S. Pentagon.

The rotation of 1991 WA has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 7.11 hours.

1991 WA's spectral type None (Tholen) / Q (SMASSII) indicates that it is likely to contain .

Close Approaches

1991 WA's orbit is 0.19 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.

1991 WA has 2 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Images and Observations

1991 WA's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Dec. 1, 1991. It was last officially observed on March 31, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 798 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 1991 WA:

• 3199 Nefertiti (1982 RA)
• 3800 Karayusuf (1984 AB)
• 4957 Brucemurray (1990 XJ)

References

• JPL Small Body Database
• Mission Design
• Sky Finder Chart

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 8176 (1991 WA) 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 1991 WA 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.