Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
  • Will pass within 26,507,888 km of Earth in 2026
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

2018 VD is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2018 VD 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.

2018 VD orbits the sun every 403 days (1.10 years), coming as close as 0.62 AU and reaching as far as 1.52 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2018 VD is probably between 0.010 to 0.023 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.

Close Approaches

2018 VD's orbit is 0.00 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that its orbit is relatively close to Earth's orbit.

2018 VD has 1 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
March 20, 2026 26,507,888 18.677

Images and Observations

2018 VD's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Nov. 1, 2018. It was last officially observed on Nov. 8, 2018. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 41 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 2018 VD:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 1.068 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.4193
  • Inclination: 7.61°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 38.8°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 252.4°
  • Mean Anomaly: 205.14°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.013 km
  • Magnitude: 27.1

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 403 days (1.10 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 28.83 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 1.52 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.62 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 2018 VD 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.