(144898) 2004 VD17

(144898) 2004 VD17
Discovery and designation
Discovered by LINEAR
Discovery date November 7, 2004
Designations
Minor planet
category
Apollo asteroid,
Earth-crosser asteroid
Venus-crosser asteroid
Mars-crosser asteroid
Epoch September 21, 2006
Aphelion 358.422 Gm (2.3959 AU)
Perihelion 92.8 Gm (0.6204 AU)
Semi-major axis 225.610 Gm (1.50815 AU)
Eccentricity 0.588654
Orbital period 676.499 d (1.85 a)
Mean anomaly 33.427°
Inclination 4.223°
Longitude of ascending node 224.241°
Argument of perihelion 90.687°
Dimensions 0.5-1.1 km
Mass 0.13-1.8×1012 kg
Mean density 2.0? g/cm³
Equatorial escape velocity 0.0003–0.0006 km/s
Geometric albedo 0.15
Surface temp.
   Kelvin
min mean max
~227 K
Spectral type E
Absolute magnitude (H) 18.90

(144898) 2004 VD17 (previously known by its provisional designation 2004 VD17) is a near-Earth asteroid once thought to have a low and not highly unusual probability of impacting Earth in 2102. From February to May 2006 it was listed with a Torino Scale impact risk value of 2, only the second asteroid in risk-monitoring history to be rated above value 1.[1] The Torino rating was lowered to 1 after additional observations on May 20, 2006, and finally dropped to 0 on October 17, 2006.

As of the observation on December 17, 2006, JPL assigns 2004 VD17 a Torino value of 0 and an impact probability of 1 in 41.667 million in the next 100 years. This value is far below the background impact rate of objects this size.

2004 VD17 was discovered on November 7, 2004, by the NASA-funded LINEAR asteroid survey. The object is estimated by NASA's Near Earth Object Program Office to be 580 meters in diameter with an approximate mass of 2.6×1011 kg.

According to NEODyS (which compiles data from the IAU's Minor Planet Center), the Palermo Scale rating is currently −3.52 for the 2102 encounter, and −8.09 and −6.81 for encounters in 2103 and 2104 respectively. The ratings are based on 961 optical observations dating from February 16, 2002. JPL's Sentry System has returned similar results with a Palermo Scale rating of −4.91 for the 2102 encounter, based on 908 optical observations also dating from February 16, 2002. This continues a trend of decreasing Palermo rating with continuing observations.

It will pass 0.02 AU (3,000,000 km; 1,900,000 mi) from the Earth on May 1, 2032, allowing a refinement to the orbit.[2]

Being ~580 meters in diameter, if 2004 VD17 were to impact land, it would produce a crater about 10 kilometres wide and an earthquake of magnitude 7.4.[3]

See also

References

  1. ^ David Morrison (March 01, 2006). "Asteroid 2004 VD17 classed as Torino Scale 2". Asteroid and Comet Impact Hazards (NASA). http://impact.arc.nasa.gov/news_detail.cfm?ID=167. Retrieved 2011-11-06. 
  2. ^ "JPL Close-Approach Data: 144898 (2004 VD17)". 2009-01-03 last obs (arc=6.8 years). http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=2004VD17;cad=1#cad. Retrieved 2011-11-06. 
  3. ^ Kimm Groshong (01 March 2006). "New asteroid at top of Earth-threat list". New Scientist. http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn8788-new-asteroid-at-top-of-earththreat-list.html. Retrieved 2007-12-28. 

External links