138846 (2000 VJ61) is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2000 VJ61 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.
2000 VJ61 orbits the sun every 1,180 days (3.23 years), coming as close as 0.95 AU and reaching as far as 3.42 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2000 VJ61 is probably between 1.594 to 3.565 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to Mount Everest.
The rotation of 2000 VJ61 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 2.62 hours.
2000 VJ61's orbit is 0.18 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.
2000 VJ61 has 2 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
---|---|---|
May 28, 2088 | 26,529,847 | 15.124 |
June 2, 2159 | 28,961,864 | 16.756 |
2000 VJ61's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Aug. 10, 1988. It was last officially observed on Dec. 23, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,067 observations used to determine its orbit.
The position of 138846 (2000 VJ61) 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.
The above comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of 2000 VJ61 to create an approximate landscape rendering with Mount Everest in the background. This approximation is built for full-resolution desktop browsers. Shape, color, and texture of asteroid are imagined.