SpaceAtlas Space Object Data
NASA JPL SBDB · 2020 WC

2020 WC

2020 WC belongs to the Apollo group of near-Earth asteroids, whose orbits cross the path of Earth; with a semi-major axis of 1.899 AU it takes 2.62 yr to circle the Sun.

Apollo Observations: 68
Orbital Period · P
2.62 yr
v(q)
36.3 km/s
v(Q)
12.9 km/s
Diameter · ≈
0.01 km
TJ
3.8
Eccentricity · e
0.4771

Orbit and dynamics

The path is an ellipse reaching 0.993 AU from the Sun at perihelion and 2.805 AU at aphelion, a radial span of 1.812 AU.

Applying Kepler's third law to a = 1.899 AU gives an orbital period of 2.62 yr, or about 956 days.

The high eccentricity (0.477) produces a strongly elongated orbit, so the object spends most of its time far from the Sun.

Its inclination of 0.31° keeps it close to the plane of the ecliptic.

By the vis-viva equation its orbital speed rises to 36.3 km/s at perihelion and falls to 12.9 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 = 27.6 and an assumed geometric albedo of 0.14, the diameter works out to roughly 0.01 km.

Observation record and orbit quality

The current orbit solution is based on 68 observations and has a weighted RMS residual of 0.4234 arcseconds.

Condition code U = 6 indicates a moderately constrained orbit; predictions decades ahead still carry noticeable uncertainty.

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
1.899 AU
Eccentricity
0.4771
Perihelion
0.993 AU
Aphelion
2.805013 AU
Inclination
0.31°
Orbital Period
— yr
Epoch
2461200.5
Mean Anomaly
39.36°

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
27.6

Orbit Quality

RMS
0.42345
Condition
6
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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