162142 (1998 VR)

Very small Aten-class Asteroid

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Space Reference » Aten-class Asteroids » 162142 (1998 VR)

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Aten-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the U.S. Capitol building (0.46 km diameter)
  • Will pass within 29,773,068 km of Earth in 2025
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

162142 (1998 VR) is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 1998 VR 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.

1998 VR orbits the sun every 299 days (0.82 years), coming as close as 0.60 AU and reaching as far as 1.15 AU from the sun. 1998 VR is about 0.5 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 90% of asteroids but tiny compared to large asteroids, comparable in size to the U.S. Capitol building.

The rotation of 1998 VR has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 8.44 hours.

1998 VR's spectral type None (Tholen) / Sk (SMASSII) indicates that it is likely to contain and .

Close Approaches

1998 VR's orbit is 0.15 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.

1998 VR has 17 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Oct. 26, 2025 29,773,068 12.353
Nov. 26, 2048 28,811,188 13.616
Nov. 25, 2057 27,794,490 13.427
Nov. 25, 2066 26,824,041 13.223
Nov. 24, 2075 25,569,661 12.985
Nov. 21, 2084 24,056,792 12.694
Nov. 17, 2093 22,892,375 12.415
Nov. 13, 2102 23,174,462 12.243
Nov. 6, 2111 25,430,723 12.214
Oct. 28, 2120 29,309,209 12.330
Nov. 23, 2134 24,603,662 12.773
Nov. 16, 2143 22,835,482 12.307
Nov. 8, 2152 24,326,854 12.194
Nov. 1, 2161 27,423,690 12.243
Nov. 28, 2175 29,457,888 13.706
Nov. 25, 2184 26,199,498 13.105
Nov. 23, 2193 24,676,799 12.825

Images and Observations

1998 VR's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Nov. 10, 1998. It was last officially observed on Dec. 6, 2021. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 596 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 VR:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 0.8754 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.318
  • Inclination: 21.81°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 46.36°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 170.73°
  • Mean Anomaly: 313.66°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 0.46200 km
  • Magnitude: 18.83
  • Albedo: 0.250
  • Spectral type (SMASS): Sk

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 299 days (0.82 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 31.85 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 1.15 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.60 AU
  • Rotation Period: 8.44 hours
  • Approx. Composition: and .

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 162142 (1998 VR) 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 below comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of 1998 VR to create an approximate landscape rendering with New York City in the background. This approximation is built for full-resolution desktop browsers. Shape, color, and texture of asteroid are imagined.