SpaceAtlas Space Object Data
NASA JPL SBDB · 2018 VA5

2018 VA5

2018 VA5 belongs to the Apollo group of near-Earth asteroids, whose orbits cross the path of Earth; with a semi-major axis of 1.047 AU it takes 1.07 yr to circle the Sun.

Apollo Observations: 27
Orbital Period · P
1.07 yr
v(q)
30.4 km/s
v(Q)
27.8 km/s
Diameter · ≈
0.02 km
TJ
5.86
Eccentricity · e
0.0448

Orbit and dynamics

Between its closest point (1 AU) and its farthest (1.094 AU), the heliocentric distance changes by 0.094 AU over every revolution.

One full revolution takes 1.07 yr (391 days), computed from the semi-major axis of 1.047 AU.

With e = 0.045, the orbit is close to circular.

The orbital plane is tilted 6.2° relative to the ecliptic.

By the vis-viva equation its orbital speed rises to 30.4 km/s at perihelion and falls to 27.8 km/s at aphelion.

Size and surface

No direct size measurement is available; from an absolute magnitude of H = 26.4 and an assumed geometric albedo of 0.14, the diameter works out to roughly 0.02 km.

Observation record and orbit quality

Astrometry from 27 individual observations underpins this orbit; the fit leaves an RMS residual of 0.4958 arcseconds.

Condition code U = 6 indicates a moderately constrained orbit; predictions decades ahead still carry noticeable uncertainty.

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
1.047 AU
Eccentricity
0.0448
Perihelion
1.0 AU
Aphelion
1.093906 AU
Inclination
6.2°
Orbital Period
— yr
Epoch
2461200.5
Mean Anomaly
77.64°

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
2032-Jun-08 12:06 0.340603 AU
50953434 km
12.35 km/s
2033-Nov-01 12:12 0.025529 AU
3819063 km
3.88 km/s
2034-Nov-06 10:26 0.447548 AU
66952226 km
16.18 km/s
2048-Nov-03 12:05 0.297869 AU
44560604 km
12.72 km/s
2061-Jun-10 18:24 0.346555 AU
51843888 km
11.95 km/s
2062-May-05 21:00 0.067422 AU
10086243 km
3.40 km/s
2062-Oct-31 13:59 0.028028 AU
4192957 km
4.31 km/s
2075-Jun-11 19:24 0.412487 AU
61707224 km
13.79 km/s
2076-May-17 20:19 0.061960 AU
9269132 km
3.46 km/s
2076-Nov-01 13:44 0.025804 AU
3860251 km
3.64 km/s
2077-Nov-06 03:17 0.442357 AU
66175599 km
16.15 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
26.4

Orbit Quality

RMS
0.49576
Condition
6
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.

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