75079 (1999 VN24)

Mid-sized Mars-crossing Asteroid

Space Reference » Mars-crossing Asteroids » 75079 (1999 VN24)

Key Facts

Overview

75079 (1999 VN24) is a mid-sized asteroid with an orbit that crosses the orbit of Mars. NASA JPL has not classified 1999 VN24 as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

1999 VN24 orbits the sun every 1,290 days (3.53 years), coming as close as 1.63 AU and reaching as far as 3.00 AU from the sun. 1999 VN24 is about 4.0 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the island of Manhattan.

The rotation of 1999 VN24 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 6.63 hours.

No Close Approaches

1999 VN24's orbit is 0.78 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is a very wide berth between this asteroid and Earth at all times.

Orbital simulations conducted by NASA JPL's CNEOS do not show any close approaches to Earth.

Images and Observations

1999 VN24's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Sept. 14, 1999. It was last officially observed on June 20, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,702 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 1999 VN24:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.316 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.2949
  • Inclination: 23.01°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 176.16°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 286.94°
  • Mean Anomaly: 246.16°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 3.97200 km
  • Magnitude: 13.83
  • Albedo: 0.352

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,290 days (3.53 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 19.53 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.00 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.63 AU
  • Rotation Period: 6.63 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 75079 (1999 VN24) 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 above comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of 1999 VN24 to create an approximate landscape rendering with Mount Everest in the background. This approximation is built for full-resolution desktop browsers. Shape, color, and texture of asteroid are imagined.