2020 VW is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2020 VW 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 VW orbits the sun every 282 days (0.77 years), coming as close as 0.55 AU and reaching as far as 1.13 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2020 VW is probably between 0.004 to 0.016 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
2020 VW'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.
2020 VW has 14 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Nov. 2, 2020 | 221,464 | 9.881 |
| Dec. 17, 2027 | 23,044,891 | 7.706 |
| Jan. 28, 2035 | 8,014,665 | 9.965 |
| Nov. 5, 2037 | 6,469,555 | 8.496 |
| Jan. 3, 2045 | 20,456,767 | 7.505 |
| Nov. 3, 2047 | 18,017,421 | 13.475 |
| Jan. 26, 2052 | 24,179,492 | 14.485 |
| Nov. 30, 2054 | 20,872,088 | 7.608 |
| Jan. 26, 2062 | 9,030,044 | 8.700 |
| Nov. 2, 2064 | 2,037,182 | 9.309 |
| Jan. 19, 2072 | 14,422,968 | 7.621 |
| Nov. 2, 2074 | 411,786 | 9.706 |
| Nov. 4, 2077 | 27,831,890 | 15.603 |
| Jan. 24, 2113 | 7,867,240 | 9.787 |
NASA Sentry has assessed impact risk for 13 very close approach scenarios. Here are the top scenarios ordered by probability of impact:
| Date | Probability of Impact (%) | Impact Energy (Mt) |
|---|---|---|
| Nov. 2, 2074 | 0.36150 | 0.01381 |
| Nov. 2, 2074 | 0.33560 | 0.01378 |
| Nov. 2, 2077 | 0.00191 | 0.01378 |
| Nov. 2, 2077 | 0.00189 | 0.0138 |
| Nov. 2, 2078 | 0.00037 | 0.01381 |
| Nov. 2, 2078 | 0.00034 | 0.01379 |
| Nov. 2, 2074 | 0.00008 | 0.01368 |
| Nov. 2, 2076 | 0.00008 | 0.01382 |
| Nov. 2, 2076 | 0.00007 | 0.0138 |
| Nov. 3, 2079 | 0.00007 | 0.0138 |
| Nov. 3, 2075 | 0.00003 | 0.01377 |
| Nov. 3, 2079 | 0.00002 | 0.01381 |
| Nov. 2, 2094 | 0.00001 | 0.01381 |
2020 VW's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Nov. 3, 2020. It was last officially observed on Nov. 18, 2020. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 20 observations used to determine its orbit.
2020 VW can be reached with a journey of 338 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 10.8 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 2,229 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2020 VW.
The position of 2020 VW 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.