Asteroid 2017 VE flew past Earth at 0.88 LD, a day before discovery

A newly discovered asteroid designated 2017 VE flew past Earth at 0.88 LD / 0.00227 AU (~339 597 km / 211 009 miles) on November 4, 2017, one day before it was discovered. This is the 47^th known asteroid to flyby Earth within 1 lunar distance since the start of the year.

Asteroid 2017 VE was first observed at ATLAS-MLO, Mauna Loa at 10:17 UTC on November 5, 2017. This object made its closest approach to the Sun on September 9, 2017, and flew past Earth at 05:13 UTC on November 4 at a speed (relative to the Earth) of 14.08 km/s.

It belongs to the Apollo group of asteroids and has an estimated diameter between 12 and 28 m (39 – 92 feet).

[ Ephemeris | Orbit Diagram | Orbital Elements | Physical Parameters | Close-Approach Data ]

The next flyby of this asteroid is expected on November 21, 2021, at a distance of 0.37 AU / 144 LD. However, it won't come nearly as close as it did on November 4^th until November 4 (+/- 2 days), 2090 when it is expected to flyby at a distance of 0.005 AU / 1.9 LD.

This is the 47^th known asteroid to flyby Earth within 1 lunar distance since the start of the year and the 12^th since October 2.

Reference

Asteroid 2017 VE at Minor Planet Center; CNEOS

Featured image: The green line indicates the object's apparent motion relative to the Earth, and the bright green marks are the object's location at approximately one-hour intervals. The Moon's orbit is grey. The blue arrow points in the direction of Earth's motion and the yellow arrow points toward the Sun. Credit: Minor Planet Center.