2016 VA is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2016 VA 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.
2016 VA orbits the sun every 325 days (0.89 years), coming as close as 0.43 AU and reaching as far as 1.42 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2016 VA is probably between 0.008 to 0.018 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
The rotation of 2016 VA has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 6.00 hours.
2016 VA's orbit is 0.00 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that its orbit is very close to Earth's orbit.
2016 VA has 1 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Nov. 1, 2024 | 565,481 | 21.167 |
2016 VA's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Nov. 1, 2016. It was last officially observed on Nov. 2, 2016. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 45 observations used to determine its orbit.
The position of 2016 VA 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.