Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Aten-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge
  • Will pass within 9,724,254 km of Earth in 2033
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

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.

Close Approaches

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

Images and Observations

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.

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 1991 VE:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 0.8908 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.6646
  • Inclination: 7.22°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 61.85°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 193.66°
  • Mean Anomaly: 44.86°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.740 km
  • Magnitude: 18.33

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 307 days (0.84 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 31.57 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 1.48 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.30 AU
  • Rotation Period: 13.49 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

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.

Size Rendering

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.