2007 VU259

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Centaur-class Asteroid
• Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge
• Not a Near Earth Object
• Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
• See orbit simulation

Overview

2007 VU259 is a small asteroid with an orbit between Jupiter and Neptune. NASA JPL has not classified 2007 VU259 as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

2007 VU259 orbits the sun every 5,120 days (14.02 years), coming as close as 1.82 AU and reaching as far as 9.80 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2007 VU259 is probably between 0.603 to 1.349 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.

No Close Approaches

Orbital simulations conducted by NASA JPL's CNEOS do not show any close approaches to Earth.

Images and Observations

2007 VU259's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Nov. 15, 2007. It was last officially observed on Nov. 17, 2007. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 12 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 2007 VU259:

• 2014 WW119
• 2015 KC87
• 2016 PW84

References

• JPL Small Body Database
• Mission Design
• Sky Finder Chart

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 2007 VU259 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 2007 VU259 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.