Key Facts
- Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge (0.98 km diameter)
- Will pass within 9,570,977 km of Earth in 2022
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
- See orbit simulation
Overview
7341 (1991 VK) is a small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 1991 VK as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.
1991 VK orbits the sun every 912 days (2.50 years), coming as close as 0.91 AU and reaching as far as 2.77 AU from the sun. 1991 VK is about 1.0 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 1991 VK has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 4.21 hours.
1991 VK's spectral type None (Tholen) / Sq (SMASSII) indicates that it is likely to contain and .
Close Approaches
1991 VK's orbit is 0.05 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.
1991 VK has 17 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Jan. 25, 2022 | 9,570,977 | 8.712 |
| Jan. 22, 2027 | 10,192,554 | 8.703 |
| Jan. 16, 2032 | 10,932,177 | 8.686 |
| Jan. 11, 2037 | 10,953,581 | 8.637 |
| Jan. 6, 2042 | 10,994,933 | 8.635 |
| Dec. 31, 2046 | 10,988,782 | 8.645 |
| Dec. 25, 2051 | 10,687,265 | 8.697 |
| Dec. 21, 2056 | 10,506,358 | 8.776 |
| Dec. 13, 2061 | 9,740,645 | 9.028 |
| Dec. 5, 2066 | 9,591,612 | 9.699 |
| Nov. 29, 2071 | 11,311,073 | 10.584 |
| Nov. 20, 2076 | 19,102,422 | 12.767 |
| March 6, 2179 | 23,438,254 | 13.971 |
| Feb. 26, 2184 | 13,109,588 | 11.575 |
| Feb. 18, 2189 | 8,480,570 | 10.177 |
| Feb. 17, 2194 | 7,906,014 | 9.880 |
| Feb. 20, 2199 | 8,837,852 | 10.331 |
Images and Observations
1991 VK's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Sept. 12, 1991. It was last officially observed on July 22, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,369 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 1991 VK:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 1.841 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.5061
- Inclination: 5.41°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 294.74°
- Argument of Periapsis: 173.49°
- Mean Anomaly: 240.08°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: 0.98200 km
- Magnitude: 16.96
- Albedo: 0.235
- Spectral type (SMASS): Sq
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 912 days (2.50 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 21.96 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 2.77 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.91 AU
- Rotation Period: 4.21 hours
- Approx. Composition: and .
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 7341 (1991 VK) 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 1991 VK 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.
