1991 VG
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Asteroid 1991 VG |
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|---|---|
| Properties of the orbit ( animation ) | |
| Orbit type | Apollo type |
| Major semi-axis | 1.027 AU |
| eccentricity | 0.049 |
| Perihelion - aphelion | 0.976 AU - 1.077 AU |
| Inclination of the orbit plane | 1.446 ° |
| Sidereal period | 1 a 15 d |
| Mean orbital velocity | 29.391 km / s |
| Physical Properties | |
| Medium diameter | 10-20 m |
| Albedo | ? |
| Rotation period | approx. 7.5 min |
| Absolute brightness | 28.39 mag |
| Spectral class | ? |
| history | |
| Explorer | Spacewatch |
| Date of discovery | November 6, 1991 |
| Source: Unless otherwise stated, the data comes from JPL Small-Body Database Browser . The affiliation to an asteroid family is automatically determined from the AstDyS-2 database . Please also note the note on asteroid items. | |
1991 VG is a small asteroid orbiting the Sun in an unusual orbit that deviates only slightly from Earth's orbit . It was discovered on November 6, 1991 by Jim V. Scotti as part of the Spacewatch project at the Kitt Peak National Observatory.
Due to the orbit, the small size and the observed strong fluctuations in brightness, it was initially assumed that the object was a burned-out rocket stage of an Apollo or Luna mission to the moon . However, a back calculation of the orbit did not show a satisfactory agreement. The Australian astronomer Duncan Steel therefore suggested that the object could be a space probe of an extraterrestrial civilization that is supposed to explore our solar system .
Today it is assumed that 1991 VG is a boulder that was thrown into space when a meteorite hit the moon and has since then been circling the sun independently. The discovery of some lunar meteorites on earth shows that such fragments of the moon must exist and that these occasionally also fall as meteorites on the earth.
On May 30th and June 1st, 2017 he could be observed again at the Cerro Paranal Observatory in Chile (MPO 409946 of the Minor Planet Center). This means that its path is known with sufficient accuracy that its numbering can be expected soon.
The asteroid is expected to be explored by NASA's Near-Earth Asteroid Scout from 2021 .
See also
Web links
- Our close call with an “alien probe” astronomy.com
- 1991VG (German)