37378 (2001 VU76)

Mid-sized Mars-crossing Asteroid

Space Reference » Mars-crossing Asteroids » 37378 (2001 VU76)

Key Facts

Overview

37378 (2001 VU76) is a mid-sized asteroid with an orbit that crosses the orbit of Mars. NASA JPL has not classified 2001 VU76 as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

2001 VU76 orbits the sun every 916 days (2.51 years), coming as close as 1.59 AU and reaching as far as 2.10 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2001 VU76 is probably between 2.035 to 4.550 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to Mount Everest.

The rotation of 2001 VU76 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 1.78 hours.

No Close Approaches

2001 VU76's orbit is 0.72 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

2001 VU76's orbit is determined by observations dating back to March 11, 1975. It was last officially observed on July 4, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,267 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 2001 VU76:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 1.845 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1383
  • Inclination: 23.29°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 242.47°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 88.97°
  • Mean Anomaly: 339.24°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~2.627 km
  • Magnitude: 15.58

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 916 days (2.51 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 21.91 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.10 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.59 AU
  • Rotation Period: 1.78 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 37378 (2001 VU76) 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 2001 VU76 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.