| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Grzegorz Duszanowicz |
| Discovery site | Moonbase South Observatory, Hakos |
| Discovery date | 21 November 2023 (first observed only) |
| Designations | |
| MPC designation | 2023 WK3 |
| Minor planet category | NEO · Atira |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch 13 September 2023 (JD 2460200.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 7 | |
| Observation arc | 22 days |
| Aphelion | 0.9660 AU |
| Perihelion | 0.3221 AU |
| Semi-major axis | 0.64407 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.4999 |
| Orbital period (sidereal) | 0.5169 yr (188.80 d) |
| Mean anomaly | 47.94° |
| Mean motion | 1° 54 24.48 / day |
| Inclination | 24.49° |
| Longitude of ascending node | 235.061° |
| Argument of perihelion | 11.117° |
| Earth MOID | 0.0376212 AU |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Mean diameter | 450–550 m (est. at 0.05–0.15) |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 20.5±0.4 |
2023 WK3 is a near-Earth object of the Atira group.
Discovery
2023 WK3 was discovered at G=19.5 mag on 2023 November 21 by G. Duszanowicz using the 0.28-m f/1.9 reflector + CMOS camera of the Moonbase South Observatory, Hakos. MPC code L87
Orbit and classification
It orbits the Sun at a distance of 0.32–0.97 AU once every 6 months (189 days; semi-major axis of 0.64 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.5 and a somewhat high inclination of 24° with respect to the ecliptic. It could be a fragment or a former moon of a larger present-day Atira.
Numbering and naming
As of 2023, this minor planet has neither been numbered nor named by the Minor Planet Center.
References
- ^ "2023 WK3". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
- ^ "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2023 WK3)" (2023-12-13 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
- "MPEC 2023-W132 : 2023 WK3". Minor Planet Electronic Circular. 26 November 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
- de la Fuente Marcos, Carlos; de la Fuente Marcos, Raúl (20 December 2023). "Baked before Breaking into Bits: Evidence for Atira-type Asteroid Splits". Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society. 7 (12): 278 (3 pages). Bibcode:2023RNAAS...7..278D. doi:10.3847/2515-5172/ad16de.
External links
- 2023 WK3 at NeoDyS-2, Near Earth Objects—Dynamic Site
- 2023 WK3 at the JPL Small-Body Database
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