2007 WD5

2007 WD5
Discovery[1]
Discovered byMount Lemmon Survey
Andrea Boattini
(unofficial credits)
Discovery date20 November 2007
Designations
NEO · Apollo[1][2]
Mars-crosser
Orbital characteristics[2]
Epoch 13 January 2016 (JD 2457400.5)
Uncertainty parameter 5[2] · 0[1]
Aphelion3.9289 AU (587.76 Gm)
Perihelion0.991120 AU (148.2694 Gm)
2.4600 AU (368.01 Gm)
Eccentricity0.59711
3.86 yr (1409.3 d)
12.5 km/s (27,900 mph)[3]
49.267°
0° 15m 19.62s /day
Inclination2.4276°
68.491°
309.622°
Earth MOID0.0260299 AU (3.89402 Gm)
Physical characteristics
Dimensions50 m (160 ft)[4][5]
24.3

2007 WD5 is an Apollo asteroid some 50 m (160 ft) in diameter[2] and a Mars-crosser asteroid first observed on 20 November 2007, by Andrea Boattini of the Catalina Sky Survey. Early observations of 2007 WD5 caused excitement amongst the scientific community when it was estimated as having as high as a 1 in 25 chance of colliding with Mars on 30 January 2008.[6] However, by 9 January 2008, additional observations allowed NASA's Near Earth Object Program (NEOP) to reduce the uncertainty region resulting in only a 1-in-10,000 chance of impact.[7] 2007 WD5 most likely passed Mars at a distance of 6.5 Mars radii. Due to this relatively small distance and the uncertainty level of the prior observations, the gravitational effects of Mars on its trajectory are unknown and, according to Steven Chesley of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory Near-Earth Object program, 2007 WD5 is currently considered 'lost' (see lost asteroids).[8]

  1. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference MPC-2007-WD5 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference jpldata was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference NASA_071221 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference NEO was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference h was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference NEO1228 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference NEO0109 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Lakdawalla, Emily (4 February 2008). "WD5 most likely missed Mars, but we may never know". Archived from the original on 8 February 2008. Retrieved 24 February 2008.