Key Facts

Overview

11527 (1991 VU4) is a mid-sized asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter in the main portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified 1991 VU4 as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

1991 VU4 orbits the sun every 1,550 days (4.24 years), coming as close as 2.02 AU and reaching as far as 3.22 AU from the sun. 1991 VU4 is about 7.3 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

The rotation of 1991 VU4 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 4.09 hours.

No Close Approaches

1991 VU4's orbit is 1.03 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is an extremely wide berth between this asteroid and Earth at all times.

Orbital simulations conducted by NASA JPL's CNEOS do not show any close approaches to Earth.

Images and Observations

1991 VU4's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Nov. 15, 1974. It was last officially observed on May 13, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,778 observations used to determine its orbit.

Accessibility and Exploration

This asteroid is not considered a viable target for human exploration by the NHATS study.

Similar Objects

These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 1991 VU4:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.623 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.2282
  • Inclination: 3.78°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 129.11°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 252.67°
  • Mean Anomaly: 199.83°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 7.30400 km
  • Magnitude: 14.45
  • Albedo: 0.060

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,550 days (4.24 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 18.41 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.22 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.02 AU
  • Rotation Period: 4.09 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 11527 (1991 VU4) is indicated by a ◯ pink circle. Note that the object may not be in your current field of view. Use the controls below to adjust position, location, and time.