Key Facts
- Categorized as a Aten-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
- Will pass within 17,940,334 km of Earth in 2019
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
2020 VL is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2020 VL 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.
2020 VL orbits the sun every 359 days (0.98 years), coming as close as 0.91 AU and reaching as far as 1.07 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2020 VL is probably between 0.016 to 0.074 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
Close Approaches
2020 VL's orbit is 0.05 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.
2020 VL has 38 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 10, 2019 | 17,940,334 | 6.273 |
| Oct. 18, 2020 | 8,150,657 | 3.995 |
| July 27, 2021 | 18,757,988 | 2.907 |
| Nov. 14, 2021 | 11,176,829 | 3.637 |
| June 14, 2022 | 17,667,700 | 4.071 |
| Dec. 17, 2022 | 15,713,799 | 3.555 |
| May 11, 2023 | 14,044,537 | 4.068 |
| April 6, 2024 | 11,134,060 | 3.844 |
| March 12, 2025 | 16,669,258 | 5.454 |
| Oct. 8, 2073 | 29,574,378 | 8.657 |
| Oct. 9, 2074 | 15,087,534 | 5.651 |
| Oct. 22, 2075 | 7,897,430 | 3.783 |
| July 14, 2076 | 18,944,264 | 3.362 |
| Nov. 20, 2076 | 12,274,055 | 3.666 |
| June 5, 2077 | 16,932,705 | 4.130 |
| Dec. 25, 2077 | 16,321,992 | 3.405 |
| May 2, 2078 | 13,062,708 | 4.002 |
| March 29, 2079 | 11,334,157 | 3.987 |
| March 8, 2080 | 19,529,958 | 6.139 |
| Oct. 8, 2128 | 23,100,090 | 7.311 |
| Oct. 13, 2129 | 10,350,252 | 4.623 |
| Nov. 2, 2130 | 9,093,788 | 3.642 |
| June 26, 2131 | 18,496,738 | 3.838 |
| Dec. 4, 2131 | 14,294,195 | 3.646 |
| May 21, 2132 | 15,315,742 | 4.134 |
| Jan. 17, 2133 | 16,823,423 | 2.760 |
| April 17, 2133 | 11,558,178 | 3.884 |
| March 18, 2134 | 13,478,591 | 4.640 |
| March 5, 2135 | 25,277,363 | 7.438 |
| Oct. 9, 2183 | 18,106,202 | 6.268 |
| Oct. 17, 2184 | 8,146,710 | 4.035 |
| July 27, 2185 | 18,810,138 | 2.790 |
| Nov. 12, 2185 | 10,886,947 | 3.639 |
| June 12, 2186 | 17,588,050 | 4.040 |
| Dec. 15, 2186 | 15,632,270 | 3.563 |
| May 9, 2187 | 13,834,301 | 4.063 |
| April 5, 2188 | 11,019,495 | 3.892 |
| March 11, 2189 | 16,691,377 | 5.459 |
Images and Observations
2020 VL's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Oct. 22, 2020. It was last officially observed on Dec. 24, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 81 observations used to determine its orbit.
Accessibility and Exploration
2020 VL can be reached with a journey of 378 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 6.181 km/s. To put this into perspective, the delta-v to launch a rocket to Low-Earth Orbit is 9.7 km/s. There are 1,186,057 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2020 VL.
Similar Objects
These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 2020 VL:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 0.9895 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.08
- Inclination: 5.57°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 229.71°
- Argument of Periapsis: 28.83°
- Mean Anomaly: 99.18°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.045 km
- Magnitude: 25.12
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 359 days (0.98 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 29.99 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.07 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.91 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 2020 VL 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 2020 VL 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.
