162004 (1991 VE) is a small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 1991 VE 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.
1991 VE orbits the sun every 307 days (0.84 years), coming as close as 0.30 AU and reaching as far as 1.48 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 1991 VE is probably between 0.574 to 1.282 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 1991 VE has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 13.49 hours.
1991 VE's orbit is 0.06 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.
1991 VE has 26 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
---|---|---|
Oct. 29, 2033 | 9,724,254 | 21.987 |
Jan. 19, 2036 | 18,980,451 | 18.756 |
Oct. 27, 2049 | 19,489,017 | 17.826 |
Jan. 16, 2052 | 18,969,976 | 23.231 |
Nov. 1, 2054 | 21,176,490 | 25.101 |
Oct. 28, 2070 | 9,985,147 | 20.010 |
Jan. 17, 2073 | 15,442,497 | 20.606 |
Jan. 12, 2089 | 29,414,293 | 26.242 |
Oct. 30, 2091 | 9,547,988 | 21.964 |
Jan. 19, 2094 | 19,109,402 | 18.731 |
Oct. 28, 2107 | 20,017,844 | 17.713 |
Jan. 16, 2110 | 19,748,774 | 23.484 |
Nov. 2, 2112 | 19,556,963 | 24.728 |
Jan. 20, 2115 | 28,434,476 | 16.688 |
Oct. 28, 2128 | 11,619,655 | 19.486 |
Jan. 19, 2131 | 15,608,912 | 21.325 |
Nov. 4, 2133 | 28,914,073 | 26.905 |
Oct. 30, 2149 | 8,227,625 | 20.995 |
Jan. 20, 2152 | 16,497,113 | 19.799 |
Oct. 29, 2165 | 25,715,120 | 16.786 |
Jan. 16, 2168 | 24,444,682 | 24.875 |
Nov. 1, 2170 | 13,596,188 | 23.275 |
Jan. 20, 2173 | 23,290,618 | 17.665 |
Oct. 29, 2186 | 15,428,191 | 18.565 |
Jan. 18, 2189 | 16,988,193 | 22.297 |
Nov. 4, 2191 | 24,865,840 | 25.980 |
1991 VE's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Nov. 24, 1954. It was last officially observed on Dec. 20, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,399 observations used to determine its orbit.
The position of 162004 (1991 VE) 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 1991 VE 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.