Key Facts

Overview

13420 (1999 VN10) is a large asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter in the main portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified 1999 VN10 as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

1999 VN10 orbits the sun every 1,700 days (4.65 years), coming as close as 2.67 AU and reaching as far as 2.91 AU from the sun. 1999 VN10 is about 11.2 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the city of Cleveland, Ohio.

No Close Approaches

1999 VN10's orbit is 1.67 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

1999 VN10's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Nov. 1, 1980. It was last officially observed on March 28, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,952 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 1999 VN10:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.79 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.044
  • Inclination: 5.26°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 265.72°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 101.3°
  • Mean Anomaly: 97.22°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 11.20400 km
  • Magnitude: 13.2
  • Albedo: 0.104

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,700 days (4.65 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 17.85 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.91 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.67 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 13420 (1999 VN10) 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.