Key Facts
- Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a football field
- Will pass within 3,859,090 km of Earth in 2042
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
- See orbit simulation
Overview
20425 (1998 VD35) is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 1998 VD35 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.
1998 VD35 orbits the sun every 715 days (1.96 years), coming as close as 0.82 AU and reaching as far as 2.31 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 1998 VD35 is probably between 0.210 to 0.470 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a football field.
1998 VD35's spectral type None (Tholen) / Sq (SMASSII) indicates that it is likely to contain and .
Close Approaches
1998 VD35'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.
1998 VD35 has 14 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| May 12, 2042 | 3,859,090 | 13.012 |
| April 2, 2044 | 24,817,730 | 9.656 |
| Feb. 8, 2046 | 27,730,485 | 9.425 |
| Dec. 29, 2047 | 15,836,654 | 13.267 |
| May 15, 2093 | 9,049,621 | 14.018 |
| April 16, 2095 | 20,341,794 | 9.485 |
| Feb. 22, 2097 | 29,376,104 | 9.977 |
| Jan. 4, 2099 | 15,338,432 | 11.215 |
| May 22, 2146 | 20,746,016 | 16.224 |
| May 2, 2148 | 10,894,351 | 10.384 |
| March 12, 2150 | 29,053,892 | 10.165 |
| Jan. 15, 2152 | 20,095,837 | 9.391 |
| Dec. 24, 2153 | 25,471,106 | 16.131 |
| May 21, 2199 | 18,980,992 | 15.843 |
Images and Observations
1998 VD35's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Nov. 15, 1998. It was last officially observed on July 29, 2005. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 51 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 1998 VD35:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 1.565 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.4767
- Inclination: 6.99°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 227.26°
- Argument of Periapsis: 296.32°
- Mean Anomaly: 191.28°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.271 km
- Magnitude: 20.51
- Spectral type (SMASS): Sq
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 715 days (1.96 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 23.81 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 2.31 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.82 AU
- Approx. Composition: and .
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 20425 (1998 VD35) 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 1998 VD35 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.
