2021 DW1 is a small Apollo near-Earth asteroid discovered on 16 February 2021 by the Pan-STARRS 1 survey at Haleakala Observatory, Hawaii.[2] On 4 March 2021 at 8:59 UTC, it passed 1.48 LD (570,000 km; 350,000 mi) from Earth. During the close approach, it trailed across the Northern Hemisphere sky and brightened up to apparent magnitude of 14.6. Extensive observations of 2021 DW1 during the encounter revealed that it is an elongated, stony asteroid approximately 30 metres (100 ft) in diameter, with a rapid rotation period of 50 seconds. The asteroid's spin axis is unusually oblique relative to its orbital plane, contrary to predictions from the YORP effect.[5]
Discovery [1][2] | |
---|---|
Discovered by | Pan-STARRS 1 |
Discovery site | Haleakala Obs. |
Discovery date | 16 February 2021 |
Designations | |
MPC designation | 2021 DW1 |
Alternative designations | P11dqY3 [3] |
Minor planet category | NEO · Apollo [4] |
Orbital characteristics [4] | |
Epoch 1 July 2020 (JD 2459396.5) | |
Uncertainty parameter 4 | |
Observation arc | 27 days |
Aphelion | 1.662 AU |
Perihelion | 0.9918 AU |
Semi-major axis | 1.327 AU |
Eccentricity | 0.2525 |
Orbital period (sidereal) | 1.53 yr (558.29 days) |
Mean anomaly | 71.096° |
Mean motion | 0° 38m 41.367s / day |
Inclination | 6.878° |
Longitude of ascending node | 162.489° |
Argument of perihelion | 10.499° |
Earth MOID | 0.00414 AU (619,000 km) |
Physical characteristics | |
Mean diameter | 30±10 m [5] |
Synodic rotation period | 0.013760±0.000001 h [5] 49.536±0.004 s |
Axial tilt | 54°±10° or 123°±10° (to orbit) [5] |
Pole ecliptic latitude | 29°±10° or −40°±10° [5] |
Pole ecliptic longitude | 57°±10° or 67°±10° [5] |
Geometric albedo | 0.23±0.02 [5] |
Spectral type | Sq [5] g–i=0.79±0.01 [5] i–z=0.01±0.02 z–g=0.01±0.02 [5] |
Apparent magnitude | 21.0 (discovery) [2] 14.6 (max) [5] |
Absolute magnitude (H) | 24.8±0.5 [5] · 25.02±0.27 [4][1] |
2021 in space | ||
---|---|---|
| ||
Space probe and telescope launches ![]() |
| |
Impact events | ||
Selected NEOs | ||
Exoplanets ![]() |
| |
Discoveries |
| |
Comets ![]() |
| |
Space exploration |
| |
|
Small Solar System bodies | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Minor planets |
| ||||||
Comets |
| ||||||
Other |
|