9940 (1988 VM3)

Mid-sized Main-belt Asteroid

Space Reference » Main-belt Asteroids » 9940 (1988 VM3)

Key Facts

Overview

9940 (1988 VM3) is a mid-sized asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter in the main portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified 1988 VM3 as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

1988 VM3 orbits the sun every 1,170 days (3.20 years), coming as close as 1.80 AU and reaching as far as 2.54 AU from the sun. 1988 VM3 is about 3.1 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the island of Manhattan.

No Close Approaches

1988 VM3's orbit is 0.79 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

1988 VM3's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Dec. 9, 1950. It was last officially observed on July 3, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,752 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 1988 VM3:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.172 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1697
  • Inclination: 2.21°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 357.55°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 341.63°
  • Mean Anomaly: 11.28°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 3.13200 km
  • Magnitude: 14.75
  • Albedo: 0.313

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,170 days (3.20 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 20.20 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.54 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.80 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 9940 (1988 VM3) 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 1988 VM3 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.