Key Facts

Overview

14171 (1998 VO6) is a large asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter in the main portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified 1998 VO6 as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

1998 VO6 orbits the sun every 1,670 days (4.57 years), coming as close as 2.51 AU and reaching as far as 3.01 AU from the sun. 1998 VO6 is about 14.1 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the city of Cleveland, Ohio.

The rotation of 1998 VO6 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 376.93 hours.

No Close Approaches

1998 VO6's orbit is 1.53 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

1998 VO6's orbit is determined by observations dating back to May 25, 1982. It was last officially observed on June 10, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,347 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 1998 VO6:

References

Search

   or view a random object

Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.758 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.0901
  • Inclination: 6.11°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 289.48°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 154.97°
  • Mean Anomaly: 122.56°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 14.05200 km
  • Magnitude: 13.62
  • Albedo: 0.034

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,670 days (4.57 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 17.97 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.01 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.51 AU
  • Rotation Period: 376.93 hours

Map Comparison

Click to load map

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 14171 (1998 VO6) 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.