# 2019 VL5

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Near-Earth asteroid

2019 VL5 Discovery Discovered by LINEAR Discovery date 9 November 2019 Designations Minor planet category NEO Aten[1] Orbital characteristics[1] Epoch 17 October 2024 (JD 2460600.5) Uncertainty parameter 0 Observation arc 1827 days (5.00 years) Aphelion 1.277788 AU (191.1544 Gm) Perihelion 0.720270 AU (107.7509 Gm) Semi-major axis 0.999029 AU (149.4526 Gm) Eccentricity 0.279030 Orbital period (sidereal) 0.9986 yr (364.72 d) Mean anomaly 260.08477° Mean motion 0.98705°/day Inclination 1.73671° Longitude of ascending node 279.28599° Argument of perihelion 237.69006° Earth MOID 0.00700361 AU (1,047,725 km) Physical characteristics Mean diameter 30 m Absolute magnitude (H) 25.86[1]

**2019 VL5** is a tiny [asteroid](/source/Asteroid), classified as a [near-Earth object](/source/Near-Earth_object) of the [Aten group](/source/Aten_asteroid) moving in a 1:1 [mean-motion resonance](/source/Mean-motion_resonance) with [Earth](/source/Earth). Because of that, it is in a [co-orbital configuration](/source/Co-orbital_configuration) relative to Earth. 2019 VL5 is currently in a [horseshoe orbit](/source/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](/source/Quasi-satellite) orbit, then back to a horseshoe orbit after a few decades.[2]

China planned to launch an asteroid deflection probe targeting 2019 VL5 in 2025,[3] but later changed the target to [2015 XF261](/source/2015_XF261).[4]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-jpl_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-jpl_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-jpl_1-2) ["JPL Small-Body Database Lookup: (2019 VL5)"](https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/tools/sbdb_lookup.html#/?sstr=2019vl5). [Jet Propulsion Laboratory](/source/Jet_Propulsion_Laboratory). 4 November 2023. Retrieved 10 March 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Yi, Qi; Dong, Qiao (May 2022). ["Stability Analysis of Earth Co-orbital Objects"](https://doi.org/10.3847%2F1538-3881%2Fac5e2c). *[The Astronomical Journal](/source/The_Astronomical_Journal)*. **163** (5). section 211. [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[2022AJ....163..211Q](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2022AJ....163..211Q). [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.3847/1538-3881/ac5e2c](https://doi.org/10.3847%2F1538-3881%2Fac5e2c).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Jones, Andrew (11 April 2023). ["China to target asteroid 2019 VL5 for 2025 planetary defense test"](https://spacenews.com/china-to-target-asteroid-2019-vl5-for-2025-planetary-defense-test/). *SpaceNews*. Retrieved 26 January 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["China targets its first planetary defense test mission"](https://www.planetary.org/articles/china-targets-its-first-planetary-defense-test-mission). *The Planetary Society*.

## External links

- [2019 VL5](https://newton.spacedys.com/neodys/index.php?n=2019VL5&pc=1.1.0) at *NeoDyS-2, Near Earth Objects—Dynamic Site* - [Ephemerides](https://newton.spacedys.com/neodys/index.php?n=2019VL5&pc=1.1.3.0) **·** [Observation prediction](https://newton.spacedys.com/neodys/index.php?n=2019VL5&pc=1.1.4.0) **·** [Orbital info](https://newton.spacedys.com/neodys/index.php?n=2019VL5&pc=1.1.1) **·** [MOID](https://newton.spacedys.com/neodys/index.php?n=2019VL5&pc=1.1.5) **·** [Proper elements](https://newton.spacedys.com/neodys/index.php?n=2019VL5&pc=1.1.6) **·** [Observational info](https://newton.spacedys.com/neodys/index.php?n=2019VL5&pc=1.1.7.0) **·** [Close approaches](https://newton.spacedys.com/neodys/index.php?n=2019VL5&pc=1.1.8) **·** [Physical info](https://newton.spacedys.com/neodys/index.php?n=2019VL5&pc=1.1.9) **·** [Orbit animation](https://newton.spacedys.com/neodys/index.php?n=2019VL5&pc=1.1.A)

- [2019 VL5](https://neo.ssa.esa.int/search-for-asteroids?sum=1&des=2019VL5) at *ESA–[space situational awareness](/source/Space_Situational_Awareness_Programme)* - [Ephemerides](https://neo.ssa.esa.int/search-for-asteroids?des=2019VL5&tab=eph) **·** [Observations](https://neo.ssa.esa.int/search-for-asteroids?des=2019VL5&tab=obs) **·** [Orbit](https://neo.ssa.esa.int/search-for-asteroids?des=2019VL5&tab=orbprop) **·** [Physical properties](https://neo.ssa.esa.int/search-for-asteroids?des=2019VL5&tab=physprops) **·** [Summary](https://neo.ssa.esa.int/search-for-asteroids?des=2019VL5&tab=summary)

- [2019 VL5](https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/tools/sbdb_lookup.html#/?sstr=3892813) at the *[JPL Small-Body Database](/source/JPL_Small-Body_Database)* - [Close approach](https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/tools/sbdb_lookup.html#/?sstr=3892813&view=C) **·** [Discovery](https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/tools/sbdb_lookup.html#/?sstr=3892813&view=D) **·** [Ephemeris](https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/horizons.cgi?find_body=1&body_group=sb&sstr=3892813) **·** [Orbit viewer](https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/tools/sbdb_lookup.html#/?sstr=3892813&view=V) **·** [Orbit parameters](https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/tools/sbdb_lookup.html#/?sstr=3892813&view=O) **·** [Physical parameters](https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/tools/sbdb_lookup.html#/?sstr=3892813&view=P)

v t e Small Solar System bodies Minor planets Designation Groups List Moon Meanings of names Asteroid Active Asteroid belt Family Jupiter trojan Near-Earth Amors Apollos Atens Atiras Spectral types Distant minor planet Centaur Neptune trojan Damocloid Trans-Neptunian object Detached Kuiper belt Oort cloud Scattered disc Comets Extinct Great Halley-type Hyperbolic/Parabolic Long-period Lost Near-parabolic Periodic Sungrazing Other Cosmic dust Meteoroids Space debris

Authority control databases JPL SBDB

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [2019 VL5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_VL5) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_VL5?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.