Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Amor-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge (0.97 km diameter)
  • Will pass within 25,313,291 km of Earth in 2086
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

138847 (2000 VE62) is a small asteroid whose orbit approaches the orbit of Earth but does not cross it. NASA JPL has classified 2000 VE62 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 VE62 orbits the sun every 752 days (2.06 years), coming as close as 1.15 AU and reaching as far as 2.08 AU from the sun. 2000 VE62 is about 1.0 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than ~97% of asteroids but small compared to large asteroids, comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge.

The rotation of 2000 VE62 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 7.60 hours.

Close Approaches

2000 VE62's orbit is 0.16 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 VE62 has 3 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
April 20, 2086 25,313,291 12.298
April 22, 2121 24,227,658 11.854
April 21, 2189 28,295,964 12.636

Images and Observations

2000 VE62's orbit is determined by observations dating back to March 5, 1983. It was last officially observed on June 28, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,345 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 2000 VE62:

References

Search

   or view a random object

Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 1.619 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.2878
  • Inclination: 22.18°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 207.09°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 16.35°
  • Mean Anomaly: 214.14°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 0.96500 km
  • Magnitude: 17.08
  • Albedo: 0.396

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 752 days (2.06 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 23.42 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.08 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.15 AU
  • Rotation Period: 7.60 hours

Map Comparison

Click to load map

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 138847 (2000 VE62) 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 above comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of 2000 VE62 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.