Key Facts

Overview

13138 (1994 VA) is a mid-sized asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter in the main portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified 1994 VA as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

1994 VA orbits the sun every 1,480 days (4.05 years), coming as close as 1.91 AU and reaching as far as 3.18 AU from the sun. 1994 VA is about 7.1 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

The rotation of 1994 VA has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 57.00 hours.

No Close Approaches

1994 VA's orbit is 0.94 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

1994 VA's orbit is determined by observations dating back to May 8, 1981. It was last officially observed on Feb. 9, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,138 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 1994 VA:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.542 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.2497
  • Inclination: 12.01°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 231.98°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 90.46°
  • Mean Anomaly: 95.59°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 7.07200 km
  • Magnitude: 13.78
  • Albedo: 0.156

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,480 days (4.05 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 18.69 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.18 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.91 AU
  • Rotation Period: 57.00 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 13138 (1994 VA) 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.