Key Facts
- Categorized as a Aten-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
- Will pass within 22,548,508 km of Earth in 2026
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
2016 VO1 is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2016 VO1 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 VO1 orbits the sun every 356 days (0.97 years), coming as close as 0.56 AU and reaching as far as 1.40 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2016 VO1 is probably between 0.064 to 0.143 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
Close Approaches
2016 VO1's orbit is 0.01 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that its orbit is relatively close to Earth's orbit.
2016 VO1 has 18 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Feb. 14, 2026 | 22,548,508 | 9.430 |
| Feb. 14, 2027 | 1,416,517 | 13.718 |
| Feb. 9, 2028 | 26,728,372 | 19.046 |
| Oct. 17, 2050 | 21,771,483 | 17.919 |
| Oct. 12, 2051 | 5,956,043 | 12.643 |
| Feb. 12, 2060 | 26,369,337 | 9.008 |
| Feb. 14, 2061 | 1,234,429 | 13.499 |
| Feb. 9, 2062 | 25,026,727 | 18.702 |
| Oct. 15, 2085 | 13,571,044 | 16.196 |
| Oct. 11, 2086 | 11,938,576 | 11.327 |
| Feb. 16, 2096 | 10,280,899 | 11.542 |
| Feb. 11, 2097 | 14,359,199 | 16.484 |
| Oct. 16, 2121 | 10,675,258 | 15.583 |
| Oct. 12, 2122 | 14,780,262 | 10.767 |
| Feb. 17, 2132 | 9,117,488 | 11.761 |
| Feb. 12, 2133 | 14,995,894 | 16.601 |
| Feb. 18, 2168 | 14,407,389 | 10.735 |
| Feb. 13, 2169 | 10,711,792 | 15.719 |
Images and Observations
2016 VO1's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Oct. 30, 2016. It was last officially observed on Dec. 5, 2020. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 77 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 2016 VO1:References
Search
or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 0.9826 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.4287
- Inclination: 1.62°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 129.74°
- Argument of Periapsis: 131.95°
- Mean Anomaly: 108.55°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.082 km
- Magnitude: 23.1
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 356 days (0.97 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 30.03 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.40 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.56 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 2016 VO1 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 2016 VO1 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.
