2017 VW13
Discovery[1]
Discovered byATLAS-MLO
Discovery date13 November 2017
Designations
2017 VW13
Orbital characteristics[2]
Epoch 23 March 2018 (JD 2458200.5)
Uncertainty parameter 4
Observation arc118 days
Aphelion3.3707 AU (Q)
Perihelion0.96118 AU (q)
2.1659 AU (a)
Eccentricity0.556231
3.19 yr
47.813° (M)
Inclination11.4909°
45.705° (Ω)
337.12° (ω)
Earth MOID0.002 AU (300,000 km)
Physical characteristics
Dimensions~250 m (820 ft) (assumed)[lower-alpha 1]
20.7[2]

    2017 VW13 is an Apollo near-Earth asteroid roughly 250 meters (820 feet) in diameter. It was discovered on 13 November 2017 when the asteroid was about 0.069 AU (10,300,000 km; 6,400,000 mi) from Earth and had a solar elongation of 110 degrees. Ten days earlier, on 3 November 2017, the asteroid had passed 0.02818 AU (4,216,000 km; 2,619,000 mi) from Earth,[2] but only had a solar elongation of 65 degrees.

    2001 Earth approach

    Calculating the orbit backwards it is known that the asteroid made a close approach to Earth on 8 November 2001.[2] The nominal (best-fit) solution shows that the asteroid passed about 0.001 AU (150,000 km; 93,000 mi) from Earth. But due to the uncertainties in the trajectory, the asteroid could have passed as far as 0.008 AU (1,200,000 km; 740,000 mi) from Earth. The observation arc is only 118 days, but as the observation arc becomes longer the precise distance of the 2001 approach will become better constrained.

    Generic size comparison of other large asteroids that passed less than 0.5 LD from Earth
    Asteroid Absolute
    magnitude
    (H)    		 Generic diameter
    estimate assuming
    albedo = 0.15[3]
    2017 VW1320.7250 meters
    2002 MN23.666 meters
    2018 GE323.860 meters

    Notes

    1. ↑ Diameter estimate based on an absolute magnitude (H) of 20.7 and an assumed albedo of 0.15.

    References

    1. ↑ "MPEC 2017-W10 : 2017 VW13". IAU Minor Planet Center. 16 November 2017. Retrieved 18 April 2018. (K17V13W)
    2. 1 2 3 4 5 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2017 VW13)" (last observation: 2018-03-04). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
    3. ↑ "Asteroid Size Estimator". CNEOS NASA/JPL. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
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