10618 (1997 VU3)

Mid-sized Main-belt Asteroid

Space Reference » Main-belt Asteroids » 10618 (1997 VU3)

Key Facts

Overview

10618 (1997 VU3) is a mid-sized asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter in the main portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified 1997 VU3 as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

1997 VU3 orbits the sun every 1,310 days (3.59 years), coming as close as 1.90 AU and reaching as far as 2.79 AU from the sun. 1997 VU3 is about 3.0 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the island of Manhattan.

No Close Approaches

1997 VU3's orbit is 0.91 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

1997 VU3's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Jan. 2, 1973. It was last officially observed on March 28, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,684 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 1997 VU3:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.345 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1905
  • Inclination: 2.75°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 191.38°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 208.24°
  • Mean Anomaly: 80.12°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 2.99300 km
  • Magnitude: 14.79
  • Albedo: 0.191

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,310 days (3.59 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 19.47 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.79 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.90 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 10618 (1997 VU3) 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 1997 VU3 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.