SpaceAtlas Space Object Data
NASA JPL SBDB · 4015

Wilson-Harrington

Wilson-Harrington belongs to the Apollo group of near-Earth asteroids, whose orbits cross the path of Earth; with a semi-major axis of 2.627 AU it takes 4.26 yr to circle the Sun.

Apollo Observations: 1,522
Orbital Period · P
4.26 yr
v(q)
38.6 km/s
v(Q)
8.7 km/s
Diameter · ≈
2.08 km
TJ
3.08
Eccentricity · e
0.6308

Orbit and dynamics

Between its closest point (0.97 AU) and its farthest (4.284 AU), the heliocentric distance changes by 3.314 AU over every revolution.

One full revolution takes 4.26 yr (1,555 days), computed from the semi-major axis of 2.627 AU.

The high eccentricity (0.631) produces a strongly elongated orbit, so the object spends most of its time far from the Sun.

Its inclination of 2.8° keeps it close to the plane of the ecliptic.

By the vis-viva equation its orbital speed rises to 38.6 km/s at perihelion and falls to 8.7 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

The measured diameter is 4 km, a value from direct size determination rather than from brightness alone.

Its geometric albedo of 0.05 indicates a very dark, carbonaceous-type surface.

Observation record and orbit quality

Astrometry from 1,522 individual observations underpins this orbit; the fit leaves an RMS residual of 0.3702 arcseconds.

Condition code U = 0 means the orbit is very well determined, leaving only a small uncertainty in the future ephemeris.

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
2.627 AU
Eccentricity
0.6308
Perihelion
0.97 AU
Aphelion
4.284112 AU
Inclination
2.8°
Orbital Period
— yr
Epoch
2461200.5
Mean Anomaly
320.73°

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
2039-Oct-31 09:05 0.108290 AU
16199962 km
12.13 km/s

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

Physical Parameters

Diameter
4.0 km
Albedo
0.05
Density
— g/cm³
Rotation Period
— h
Absolute Magnitude
16.16

Orbit Quality

RMS
0.37024
Condition
0
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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