Discovery | |
---|---|
Discovered by | LINEAR |
Discovery date | 9 November 2019 |
Designations | |
Orbital characteristics[1] | |
Epoch 13 September 2023 (JD 2460200.5) | |
Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
Observation arc | 1456 days (3.99 years) |
Aphelion | 1.27861 AU (191.277 Gm) |
Perihelion | 0.720710 AU (107.8167 Gm) |
0.999659 AU (149.5469 Gm) | |
Eccentricity | 0.279044 |
0.9995 yr (365.07 d) | |
225.41157° | |
0.98611°/day | |
Inclination | 1.69748° |
280.72757° | |
236.18475° | |
Earth MOID | 0.00743896 AU (1,112,853 km) |
Physical characteristics | |
Mean diameter | 30 m |
25.87[1] | |
2019 VL5 is a tiny asteroid, classified as a near-Earth object of the Aten group moving in a 1:1 mean-motion resonance with Earth. Because of that, it is in a co-orbital configuration relative to Earth. 2019 VL5 is currently in a horseshoe orbit: relative to the Sun and Earth, it moves back and forth in a horseshoe shape around Earth's orbit, with Earth in the gap of the horseshoe. According to orbital calculations, the asteroid was an Earth co-orbital for at least 500 years and will stay one for at least another 2,500 years. During this time, it will remain in this horseshoe orbit for at least 800 years, then it will transfer to a quasi-satellite orbit, then back to a horseshoe orbit after a few decades.[2]
China plans to launch an asteroid deflection probe targeting 2019 VL5 in 2025.[3]