136635 (1994 VA1)

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Amor-class Asteroid
• Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge
• Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
• Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
• See orbit simulation

Overview

136635 (1994 VA1) is a small asteroid whose orbit approaches the orbit of Earth but does not cross it. NASA JPL has classified 1994 VA1 as a "Near Earth Asteroid" due to its orbit's proximity to Earth, but it is not considered potentially hazardous because computer simulations have not indicated any imminent likelihood of future collision.

1994 VA1 orbits the sun every 721 days (1.97 years), coming as close as 1.30 AU and reaching as far as 1.85 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 1994 VA1 is probably between 0.391 to 0.875 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than ~97% of asteroids but small compared to large asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge.

The rotation of 1994 VA1 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 42.00 hours.

No Close Approaches

1994 VA1's orbit is 0.31 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is a 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

1994 VA1's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Nov. 5, 1994. It was last officially observed on July 9, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,834 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 1994 VA1:

• 3199 Nefertiti (1982 RA)
• 3800 Karayusuf (1984 AB)
• 4957 Brucemurray (1990 XJ)

References

• JPL Small Body Database
• Mission Design
• Sky Finder Chart

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 136635 (1994 VA1) 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.

Size Rendering

The below comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of 1994 VA1 to create an approximate landscape rendering with New York City in the background. This approximation is built for full-resolution desktop browsers. Shape, color, and texture of asteroid are imagined.