2020 VT4 is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2020 VT4 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.
2020 VT4 orbits the sun every 316 days (0.87 years), coming as close as 0.72 AU and reaching as far as 1.09 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2020 VT4 is probably between 0.003 to 0.015 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
2020 VT4's orbit is 0.00 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that its orbit is very close to Earth's orbit.
2020 VT4 has 26 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Nov. 13, 2020 | 6,746 | 13.427 |
| March 11, 2028 | 25,430,398 | 9.180 |
| Nov. 27, 2033 | 18,309,542 | 6.144 |
| Nov. 17, 2039 | 29,487,833 | 13.160 |
| Jan. 30, 2047 | 29,481,870 | 4.951 |
| April 7, 2047 | 25,452,606 | 7.078 |
| Nov. 13, 2052 | 3,765,428 | 8.483 |
| March 31, 2060 | 23,904,183 | 7.056 |
| Nov. 14, 2065 | 12,254,034 | 9.923 |
| April 11, 2073 | 26,286,553 | 7.193 |
| Nov. 16, 2078 | 21,787,006 | 11.688 |
| Dec. 20, 2085 | 26,378,921 | 6.085 |
| Nov. 21, 2098 | 15,047,407 | 6.219 |
| March 12, 2106 | 26,369,776 | 9.673 |
| Nov. 19, 2111 | 11,107,360 | 6.487 |
| March 12, 2119 | 26,902,344 | 9.841 |
| Nov. 27, 2124 | 18,493,724 | 6.092 |
| Dec. 20, 2137 | 26,123,166 | 6.061 |
| Nov. 17, 2143 | 20,314,352 | 11.410 |
| April 5, 2151 | 24,465,107 | 7.046 |
| Nov. 14, 2156 | 6,380,300 | 8.928 |
| April 1, 2164 | 23,379,176 | 7.078 |
| Nov. 15, 2169 | 6,552,146 | 8.942 |
| April 10, 2177 | 25,205,145 | 7.109 |
| Nov. 17, 2182 | 21,017,839 | 11.528 |
| March 11, 2197 | 28,099,503 | 10.365 |
2020 VT4's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Nov. 14, 2020. It was last officially observed on Nov. 19, 2020. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 34 observations used to determine its orbit.
2020 VT4 can be reached with a journey of 346 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 8.922 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 5,939 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2020 VT4.
The position of 2020 VT4 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.