SpaceAtlas Space Object Data
NASA JPL SBDB · 1997 VN4

1997 VN4

1997 VN4 is an Amor-type near-Earth asteroid that approaches Earth from beyond our orbit without crossing it, orbiting the Sun at 2.443 AU once every 3.82 yr.

Amor Observations: 151
Orbital Period · P
3.82 yr
v(q)
35.5 km/s
v(Q)
10.2 km/s
Diameter · ≈
0.08 km
TJ
3.26
Eccentricity · e
0.5521

Orbit and dynamics

The path is an ellipse reaching 1.094 AU from the Sun at perihelion and 3.792 AU at aphelion, a radial span of 2.698 AU.

Applying Kepler's third law to a = 2.443 AU gives an orbital period of 3.82 yr, or about 1,395 days.

The high eccentricity (0.552) produces a strongly elongated orbit, so the object spends most of its time far from the Sun.

The orbital plane is tilted 7.52° relative to the ecliptic.

By the vis-viva equation its orbital speed rises to 35.5 km/s at perihelion and falls to 10.2 km/s at aphelion.

Its perihelion lies just outside Earth's orbit, which is why it is classed as Earth-approaching rather than Earth-crossing.

Size and surface

No direct size measurement is available; from an absolute magnitude of H = 23.3 and an assumed geometric albedo of 0.14, the diameter works out to roughly 0.08 km.

Observation record and orbit quality

The current orbit solution is based on 151 observations and has a weighted RMS residual of 0.4647 arcseconds.

Condition code U = 0 means the orbit is very well determined, leaving only a small uncertainty in the future ephemeris.

About these computed values

Orbital periods, perihelion and aphelion speeds, and diameter estimates on this page are computed by SpaceAtlas from the JPL SBDB orbital elements. They are derived quantities, not values copied from the source catalogue.

Orbital Parameters

Semi-Major Axis
2.443 AU
Eccentricity
0.5521
Perihelion
1.094 AU
Aphelion
3.79178 AU
Inclination
7.52°
Orbital Period
— yr
Epoch
2461200.5
Mean Anomaly
183.6°

Orbit diagram

The Sun sits at the focus (orange). Earth's orbit is the grey circle at 1 AU. The red dot marks the object's position at the catalog epoch.

3D orbit (interactive)

Drag to rotate; scroll or pinch to zoom. The Sun is at the focus (orange), Earth's orbit is the grey ring at 1 AU, and the red dot marks the object's current position.

Close approaches

Predicted close approaches to Earth, from NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS).

Date (UTC)Miss distanceVelocity
2039-Oct-13 12:10 0.251997 AU
37698174 km
10.30 km/s

Distances in astronomical units (AU) and kilometres. Source: NASA/JPL CNEOS Close Approach Data API.

Physical Parameters

Diameter
— km
Albedo
—
Density
— g/cm³
Rotation Period
— h
Absolute Magnitude
23.3

Orbit Quality

RMS
0.46473
Condition
0
Orbit ID
—
Data source: NASA JPL Small-Body Database · NASA CNEOS. Orbital periods, perihelion and aphelion speeds, and diameter estimates on this page are computed by SpaceAtlas from the JPL SBDB orbital elements. They are derived quantities, not values copied from the source catalogue.

Keep exploring

Explore asteroids, comets and near-Earth objects with JPL orbital data.