Key Facts

Overview

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

Veverka orbits the sun every 1,380 days (3.78 years), coming as close as 2.10 AU and reaching as far as 2.74 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, Veverka is probably between 5.528 to 12.361 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

The rotation of Veverka has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 15.73 hours.

No Close Approaches

Veverka's orbit is 1.11 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is an extremely 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

Veverka's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Feb. 14, 1974. It was last officially observed on May 31, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,616 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 Veverka:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.424 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1321
  • Inclination: 3.12°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 144.43°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 34.87°
  • Mean Anomaly: 7.16°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~7.136 km
  • Magnitude: 13.41

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,380 days (3.78 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 19.11 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.74 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.10 AU
  • Rotation Period: 15.73 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Veverka 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.