374851 (2006 VV2)

Mid-sized Apollo-class Asteroid

Near-Earth Potentially Hazardous
Space Reference » Apollo-class Asteroids » 374851 (2006 VV2)

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to Mount Everest
  • Will pass within 20,085,954 km of Earth in 2092
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

374851 (2006 VV2) is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2006 VV2 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2006 VV2 orbits the sun every 1,350 days (3.70 years), coming as close as 0.94 AU and reaching as far as 3.83 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2006 VV2 is probably between 1.204 to 2.692 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to Mount Everest.

The rotation of 2006 VV2 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 2.43 hours.

Close Approaches

2006 VV2's orbit is 0.01 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that its orbit is relatively close to Earth's orbit.

2006 VV2 has 4 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
March 17, 2092 20,085,954 15.612
March 14, 2129 24,880,892 15.653
April 6, 2140 17,727,259 18.697
March 29, 2177 4,779,181 17.137

Images and Observations

2006 VV2's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Oct. 4, 2002. It was last officially observed on Nov. 13, 2021. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,548 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 2006 VV2:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.386 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.6054
  • Inclination: 23.73°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 9.81°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 145.07°
  • Mean Anomaly: 173.24°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~1.554 km
  • Magnitude: 16.72

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,350 days (3.70 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 19.23 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.83 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.94 AU
  • Rotation Period: 2.43 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 374851 (2006 VV2) 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 2006 VV2 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.