Astronomy:2017 VW13

2017 VW₁₃

Discovery
Discovered by	ATLAS-MLO
Discovery date	13 November 2017
Designations
MPC designation	2017 VW13
Minor planet category	Apollo NEO
Orbital characteristics
Epoch 23 March 2018 (JD 2458200.5)
Uncertainty parameter 4
Observation arc	118 days
|{{{apsis}}}|helion}}	3.3707 AU (Q)
|{{{apsis}}}|helion}}	0.96118 AU (q)
Semi-major axis	2.1659 AU (a)
Eccentricity	0.556231
Orbital period	3.19 yr
Mean anomaly	47.813° (M)
Inclination	11.4909°
Longitude of ascending node	45.705° (Ω)
|{{{apsis}}}|helion}}	337.12° (ω)
Earth MOID	0.002 AU (300,000 km)
Physical characteristics
Dimensions	~250 m (820 ft) (assumed)
Absolute magnitude (H)	20.7

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 astronomical unit|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, 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. 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
2017 VW13	20.7	250 meters
2002 MN	23.6	66 meters
2018 GE3	23.8	60 meters

External links

• 2017 VW13 at NeoDyS-2, Near Earth Objects—Dynamic Site
  • Ephemeris · Obs prediction · Orbital info · MOID · Proper elements · Obs info · Close · Physical info · NEOCC
• 2017 VW13 at ESA–space situational awareness
  • Ephemerides · Observations · Orbit · Physical Properties · Summary
• 2017 VW13 at the JPL Small-Body Database
  • Close approach · Discovery · Ephemeris · Orbit diagram · Orbital elements · Physical parameters