Key Facts
- Categorized as a Amor-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge (0.90 km diameter)
- Will pass within 20,780,983 km of Earth in 2101
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
Verenia is a small asteroid whose orbit approaches the orbit of Earth but does not cross it. NASA JPL has classified Verenia 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.
Verenia orbits the sun every 1,110 days (3.04 years), coming as close as 1.07 AU and reaching as far as 3.11 AU from the sun. Verenia is about 0.9 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than ~97% of asteroids but small compared to large asteroids, comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge.
The rotation of Verenia has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 4.93 hours.
Verenia's spectral type V (Tholen) / None (SMASSII) indicates that it is likely to contain and .
Close Approaches
Verenia's orbit is 0.07 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.
Verenia has 3 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 8, 2101 | 20,780,983 | 9.742 |
| Sept. 21, 2104 | 10,327,490 | 7.781 |
| Oct. 9, 2107 | 18,750,820 | 8.217 |
Images and Observations
Verenia's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Sept. 7, 1983. It was last officially observed on June 29, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 570 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 Verenia:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 2.092 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.4873
- Inclination: 9.51°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 173.78°
- Argument of Periapsis: 193.28°
- Mean Anomaly: 72.86°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: 0.90000 km
- Magnitude: 16.71
- Albedo: 0.37
- Spectral type (Tholen): V
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 1,110 days (3.04 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 20.50 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 3.11 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 1.07 AU
- Rotation Period: 4.93 hours
- Approx. Composition: and .
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of Verenia 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 Verenia 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.
