136564 (1977 VA)

Very small Amor-class Asteroid

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Space Reference » Amor-class Asteroids » 136564 (1977 VA)

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Amor-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the U.S. Capitol building (0.40 km diameter)
  • Will pass within 27,307,082 km of Earth in 2056
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

136564 (1977 VA) is a very small asteroid whose orbit approaches the orbit of Earth but does not cross it. NASA JPL has classified 1977 VA as a "Near Earth Asteroid" due to its orbit's proximity to Earth, but it is not considered potentially hazardous because computer simulations have not indicated any imminent likelihood of future collision.

1977 VA orbits the sun every 931 days (2.55 years), coming as close as 1.13 AU and reaching as far as 2.60 AU from the sun. 1977 VA is about 0.4 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 90% of asteroids but tiny compared to large asteroids, comparable in size to the U.S. Capitol building.

Close Approaches

1977 VA's orbit is 0.14 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.

1977 VA has 5 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Oct. 27, 2056 27,307,082 4.415
Oct. 28, 2084 20,516,510 3.492
Oct. 31, 2112 27,256,968 4.523
Oct. 30, 2163 28,468,045 4.558
Oct. 31, 2191 20,554,528 3.513

Images and Observations

1977 VA's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Oct. 11, 1977. It was last officially observed on June 22, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 274 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 1977 VA:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 1.866 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.3946
  • Inclination: 2.99°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 224.45°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 172.65°
  • Mean Anomaly: 1.44°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 0.40000 km
  • Magnitude: 19.27
  • Spectral type (Tholen): XC

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 931 days (2.55 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 21.80 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.60 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.13 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 136564 (1977 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.

Size Rendering

The below comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of 1977 VA 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.