523813 (2008 VB1)

Very small Apollo-class Asteroid

Near-Earth Potentially Hazardous
Space Reference » Apollo-class Asteroids » 523813 (2008 VB1)

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the U.S. Capitol building
  • Will pass within 25,419,065 km of Earth in 2022
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

523813 (2008 VB1) is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2008 VB1 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2008 VB1 orbits the sun every 528 days (1.45 years), coming as close as 0.93 AU and reaching as far as 1.63 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2008 VB1 is probably between 0.129 to 0.577 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 90% of asteroids but tiny compared to large asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the U.S. Capitol building.

Close Approaches

2008 VB1's orbit is 0.02 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.

2008 VB1 has 3 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
June 1, 2022 25,419,065 12.178
June 1, 2035 25,117,062 12.106
June 2, 2048 28,405,717 12.681

Images and Observations

2008 VB1's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Sept. 26, 2005. It was last officially observed on Jan. 31, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 142 observations used to determine its orbit.

Accessibility and Exploration

2008 VB1 can be reached with a journey of 370 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 11.918 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 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.

See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2008 VB1.

Similar Objects

These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 2008 VB1:

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 1.278 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.2753
  • Inclination: 10.32°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 50.35°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 137.0°
  • Mean Anomaly: 351.12°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.353 km
  • Magnitude: 20.65

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 528 days (1.45 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 26.33 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 1.63 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.93 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 523813 (2008 VB1) 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 2008 VB1 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.