(33342) 1998 WT24

(33342) 1998 WT24 is a bright, sub-kilometer asteroid, classified as near-Earth object and potentially hazardous asteroid (PHA) of the Aten group, located in Venus's zone of influence that has frequent close encounters with Mercury, Venus, and Earth. It made a close approach to Earth on 11 December 2015, passing at a distance of about 4.2 million kilometers (2.6 million miles, 11 lunar distances) and reaching about apparent magnitude 11.

(33342) 1998 WT24
Tracks of asteroid 1998 WT24
Discovery
Discovered byLINEAR
Discovery siteLincoln Lab's ETS
Discovery date25 November 1998
Designations
MPC designation
(33342) 1998 WT24
Alternative designations
1998 WT24
Minor planet category
Orbital characteristics
Epoch 28 June 2009 (JD 2455010.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc18.98 yr (6,933 days)
Aphelion1.0187 AU
Perihelion0.4182 AU
Semi-major axis
0.7185 AU
Eccentricity0.4179
Orbital period (sidereal)
0.61 yr (222 days)
Mean anomaly
344.05°
Mean motion
1° 37m 6.24s / day
Inclination7.3419°
Longitude of ascending node
82.000°
167.30°
Earth MOID0.0097 AU (3.8 LD)
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter
  • 0.35±0.04 km
  • 0.410 km (taken)
  • 0.415±0.040 km
Synodic rotation period
  • 3.6970±0.0002 h
  • 3.697±0.0006 h
  • 3.697 h
  • 3.6977±0.0023 h
  • 3.698 h
  • 3.7±0.1 h
  • 0.34±0.2
  • 0.56±0.2
  • 0.75±0.35
  • 17.9
  • 18.5±0.3
  • 18.69
  • 18.69±0.3

    The asteroid was discovered on 25 November 1998 by LINEAR about four months after a close encounter with the planet Mercury (about 0.047 AU). It measures approximately 400 meters in diameter. It is also one of the best studied PHAs and was the 10th Aten asteroid to be numbered.

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