SpaceAtlas Space Object Data
NASA JPL SBDB · 2021 WD5

2021 WD5

2021 WD5 is an Amor-type near-Earth asteroid that approaches Earth from beyond our orbit without crossing it, orbiting the Sun at 1.331 AU once every 1.54 yr.

Amor Observations: 34
Orbital Period · P
1.54 yr
v(q)
30.8 km/s
v(Q)
21.6 km/s
Diameter · ≈
0.1 km
TJ
4.86
Eccentricity · e
0.1743

Orbit and dynamics

The path is an ellipse reaching 1.099 AU from the Sun at perihelion and 1.563 AU at aphelion, a radial span of 0.464 AU.

Applying Kepler's third law to a = 1.331 AU gives an orbital period of 1.54 yr, or about 561 days.

An eccentricity of 0.174 makes the orbit moderately elongated.

The orbital plane is tilted 17.81° relative to the ecliptic.

By the vis-viva equation its orbital speed rises to 30.8 km/s at perihelion and falls to 21.6 km/s at aphelion.

Its perihelion lies just outside Earth's orbit, which is why it is classed as Earth-approaching rather than Earth-crossing.

Size and surface

No direct size measurement is available; from an absolute magnitude of H = 22.76 and an assumed geometric albedo of 0.14, the diameter works out to roughly 0.1 km.

Observation record and orbit quality

The current orbit solution is based on 34 observations and has a weighted RMS residual of 0.44 arcseconds.

Condition code U = 7 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
1.331 AU
Eccentricity
0.1743
Perihelion
1.099 AU
Aphelion
1.562993 AU
Inclination
17.81°
Orbital Period
— yr
Epoch
2461200.5
Mean Anomaly
19.93°

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

Predicted close approaches to Earth, from NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS).

Date (UTC)Miss distanceVelocity
2027-Jun-11 21:36 0.413706 AU
61889526 km
9.84 km/s

Distances in astronomical units (AU) and kilometres. Source: NASA/JPL CNEOS Close Approach Data API.

Physical Parameters

Diameter
— km
Albedo
—
Density
— g/cm³
Rotation Period
— h
Absolute Magnitude
22.76

Orbit Quality

RMS
0.43995
Condition
7
Orbit ID
—
Data source: NASA JPL Small-Body Database · NASA CNEOS. 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.

Keep exploring

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