SpaceAtlas Space Object Data
NASA JPL SBDB · 2020 VG3

2020 VG3

2020 VG3 belongs to the Apollo group of near-Earth asteroids, whose orbits cross the path of Earth; with a semi-major axis of 1.282 AU it takes 1.45 yr to circle the Sun.

Apollo Observations: 103
Orbital Period · P
1.45 yr
v(q)
32.9 km/s
v(Q)
21 km/s
Diameter · ≈
0.06 km
TJ
4.96
Eccentricity · e
0.2198

Orbit and dynamics

Between its closest point (1 AU) and its farthest (1.564 AU), the heliocentric distance changes by 0.564 AU over every revolution.

One full revolution takes 1.45 yr (530 days), computed from the semi-major axis of 1.282 AU.

An eccentricity of 0.22 makes the orbit moderately elongated.

A steep inclination of 21.8° carries it well above and below the ecliptic plane.

By the vis-viva equation its orbital speed rises to 32.9 km/s at perihelion and falls to 21 km/s at aphelion.

Size and surface

No direct size measurement is available; from an absolute magnitude of H = 23.9 and an assumed geometric albedo of 0.14, the diameter works out to roughly 0.06 km.

Observation record and orbit quality

Astrometry from 103 individual observations underpins this orbit; the fit leaves an RMS residual of 0.3572 arcseconds.

Condition code U = 7 signals a poorly constrained orbit, so its future path should be treated as provisional.

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
1.282 AU
Eccentricity
0.2198
Perihelion
1.0 AU
Aphelion
1.563784 AU
Inclination
21.8°
Orbital Period
— yr
Epoch
2461200.5
Mean Anomaly
269.14°

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
2033-Nov-15 07:04 0.183788 AU
27494265 km
12.05 km/s
2034-Mar-22 01:09 0.384592 AU
57534150 km
14.74 km/s
2036-Nov-09 03:26 0.073578 AU
11007047 km
16.41 km/s
2049-Nov-17 21:14 0.025641 AU
3835881 km
11.60 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
23.9

Orbit Quality

RMS
0.35721
Condition
7
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.