SpaceAtlas Space Object Data
NASA JPL SBDB · 2017 WK2

2017 WK2

2017 WK2 belongs to the Apollo group of near-Earth asteroids, whose orbits cross the path of Earth; with a semi-major axis of 1.166 AU it takes 1.26 yr to circle the Sun.

Apollo Observations: 29
Orbital Period · P
1.26 yr
v(q)
45 km/s
v(Q)
16.9 km/s
Diameter · ≈
0.06 km
TJ
5.22
Eccentricity · e
0.4548

Orbit and dynamics

The path is an ellipse reaching 0.636 AU from the Sun at perihelion and 1.696 AU at aphelion, a radial span of 1.06 AU.

Applying Kepler's third law to a = 1.166 AU gives an orbital period of 1.26 yr, or about 460 days.

The high eccentricity (0.455) produces a strongly elongated orbit, so the object spends most of its time far from the Sun.

A steep inclination of 26.75° carries it well above and below the ecliptic plane.

By the vis-viva equation its orbital speed rises to 45 km/s at perihelion and falls to 16.9 km/s at aphelion.

Because q < 1 AU and Q > 1 AU, this orbit geometrically intersects the region of Earth's orbit.

Size and surface

No direct size measurement is available; from an absolute magnitude of H = 23.9 and an assumed geometric albedo of 0.14, the diameter works out to roughly 0.06 km.

Observation record and orbit quality

The current orbit solution is based on 29 observations and has a weighted RMS residual of 0.4801 arcseconds.

Condition code U = 9 signals a poorly constrained orbit, so its future path should be treated as provisional.

About these computed values

Orbital periods, perihelion and aphelion speeds, and diameter estimates on this page are computed by SpaceAtlas from the JPL SBDB orbital elements. They are derived quantities, not values copied from the source catalogue.

Orbital Parameters

Semi-Major Axis
1.166 AU
Eccentricity
0.4548
Perihelion
0.636 AU
Aphelion
1.696297 AU
Inclination
26.75°
Orbital Period
— yr
Epoch
2458078.5
Mean Anomaly
56.28°

Orbit diagram

The Sun sits at the focus (orange). Earth's orbit is the grey circle at 1 AU. The red dot marks the object's position at the catalog epoch.

3D orbit (interactive)

Drag to rotate; scroll or pinch to zoom. The Sun is at the focus (orange), Earth's orbit is the grey ring at 1 AU, and the red dot marks the object's current position.

Close approaches

No close approaches to Earth are currently on record for this object.

Physical Parameters

Diameter
— km
Albedo
—
Density
— g/cm³
Rotation Period
— h
Absolute Magnitude
23.9

Orbit Quality

RMS
0.48013
Condition
9
Orbit ID
—
Data source: NASA JPL Small-Body Database . Orbital periods, perihelion and aphelion speeds, and diameter estimates on this page are computed by SpaceAtlas from the JPL SBDB orbital elements. They are derived quantities, not values copied from the source catalogue.

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