(1998 WL4)
Tracked by NASA JPL Near-Earth Object Web Service (NeoWs), (1998 WL4) is a M-type (Metallic Nickel-Iron) body measuring between 336.17m and 751.69m in diameter. On 2026-10-25, it completes a cislunar approach at 156.83 Lunar Distances (60,313,373.1 km) with a relative heliocentric velocity of 35.81 km/s.
(1998 WL4) (JPL ID 3092205) is a M-type (Metallic Nickel-Iron) Near-Earth Asteroid spanning 336.2m–751.7m (mean 543.9m). On 2026-10-25, it transits Earth's cislunar surveillance sector at 156.833 Lunar Distances (60,313,373 km) with a relative velocity of 35.81 km/s and a theoretical kinetic energy reserve of 68425.60 megatons TNT. Its well-constrained heliocentric ephemeris passes safely outside Earth capture corridors while serving as an orbital calibration target.
Exact Landmark Scale Comparison (751.69m)
Kinetic Impact Physics & Orbital Parameters
(1998 WL4) (H = 19.5, Vmag ≈ 19.1) is below consumer optical detection thresholds (requires ≥1000mm survey aperture); explore certified meteorite specimens[↗] or indoor optical projection instead.
Campo del Cielo Meteorite Specimen (Certified Iron-Nickel)
Authentic coarse octahedrite Group IAB iron-nickel meteorite fragment (92.9% Fe, 6.7% Ni) recovered from the Chaco crater field with certificate of authenticity.
Satin-black 5W warm-white LED optical glass lens planetarium projecting 60,000 stars and simulated meteor shower trajectories indoors.
3D Ephemeris Trajectory Waypoints
Planetary Defense Frequently Asked Questions (Schema.org FAQ)
How big is (1998 WL4) compared to city landmarks?
(1998 WL4) has an estimated diameter between 336.17m and 751.69m. At its upper-bound size of 751.69m, it stands 170% as tall as the 443m Empire State Building in New York City and 228% of the 330m Eiffel Tower.
Will (1998 WL4) impact Earth during its 2026-10-25 approach?
No. NASA JPL Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) orbital solutions confirm (1998 WL4) will pass safely at a minimum distance of 156.83 Lunar Distances (60,313,373.1 km). You can still simulate a hypothetical street-level impact in our 3D CesiumJS simulator.
High-transmission BaK-4 Porro prism 15x70 optics with tripod adapter for bright near-Earth flybys, comets, and bolide shower radiants.
Autonomous apochromatic triplet smart telescope with integrated plate-solving, live stacking, and dual-band filter for magnitude 10–16 NEOs.
Ultra-portable Sony IMX678 starlight tele-camera with AI equatorial tracking and automated asteroid field stacking.
Authentic coarse octahedrite Group IAB iron-nickel meteorite fragment (92.9% Fe, 6.7% Ni) recovered from the Chaco crater field.
Low-read-noise Sony STARVIS 2 CMOS planetary and all-sky meteor bolide detection camera with 2.0μm pixels.