2021 VJ5
ephemeris	date	magn	radius	delta	ra	dec	elong	phase
Today	30 Apr 2026	30.1	3.216 AU	2.522 AU	10h40m	-18°47'	125.8°	14.7°

The interactive orbit chart above shows the body's path through the solar system and its position at the given date. Green and blue lines are shown perpendicular to the ecliptic plane: Green if the path is above the ecliptic plane, blue if it is below. (Left-click and drag to rotate the view; Right-click and drag to move the view; Use scroll wheel to zoom in our out.)

The orbital elements of 2021 VJ5 are:

            e (Eccentricity)                : 0.5531493
            a (Semimajor axis)              : 2.0761783
            i (Inclination)                 : 29.84363
            Ω (Longitude of ascending node) : 221.96223
            ω (Argument of perihelion)      : 134.49324
            M (Mean anomaly)                : 137.98339
            Epoch                           : 2025 Nov 21

            L (Longitude of perihelion)     : 180.52199
            B (Latitude of perihelion)      : 20.79217
            P (Orbital period in years)     : 2.99            
        

The light curve chart below shows the estimated development of the minor planet's magnitude.

The all-sky chart below shows the path of the minor planet over the same period as the light curve. The current position is marked yellow.

The following chart shows the path of the minor planet in the next few days. The field of view is optimized for (~10x50) binoculars and finderscopes.

Ephemerides:

Date       Time       RA (2000)    DEC (2000)    delta   radius  elong  phase   PA    magn
2026-04-30 00:00 UT   10 40 53.8   -18 47 51     2.522    3.216  125.8   14.7    95   30.1 
2026-04-30 16:11 UT   10 40 46.7   -18 39 44     2.529    3.216  125.2   14.8    95   30.1 
2026-05-01 00:00 UT   10 40 43.5   -18 35 50     2.532    3.216  124.9   14.9    96   30.1 
2026-05-02 00:00 UT   10 40 34.6   -18 23 57     2.542    3.215  124.0   15.1    96   30.1 
2026-05-03 00:00 UT   10 40 27.1   -18 12 11     2.552    3.215  123.1   15.2    97   30.2 
2026-05-04 00:00 UT   10 40 21.0   -18 00 33     2.562    3.214  122.2   15.4    98   30.2 
2026-05-05 00:00 UT   10 40 16.2   -17 49 04     2.572    3.214  121.3   15.6    98   30.2 
2026-05-06 00:00 UT   10 40 12.9   -17 37 42     2.583    3.213  120.4   15.7    99   30.2 
2026-05-07 00:00 UT   10 40 10.9   -17 26 29     2.593    3.212  119.5   15.9   100   30.2 
2026-05-08 00:00 UT   10 40 10.2   -17 15 24     2.604    3.212  118.6   16.0   100   30.2 
2026-05-09 00:00 UT   10 40 10.9   -17 04 29     2.615    3.211  117.7   16.2   101   30.2 
2026-05-10 00:00 UT   10 40 12.9   -16 53 42     2.626    3.210  116.8   16.3   101   30.2 
2026-05-11 00:00 UT   10 40 16.3   -16 43 05     2.637    3.210  115.9   16.4   102   30.3 
2026-05-12 00:00 UT   10 40 20.9   -16 32 37     2.648    3.209  115.0   16.6   103   30.3 
2026-05-13 00:00 UT   10 40 26.9   -16 22 19     2.660    3.208  114.2   16.7   103   30.3 
2026-05-14 00:00 UT   10 40 34.1   -16 12 10     2.671    3.208  113.3   16.8   104   30.3 
2026-05-15 00:00 UT   10 40 42.5   -16 02 12     2.683    3.207  112.4   16.9   104   30.3 
2026-05-16 00:00 UT   10 40 52.3   -15 52 23     2.694    3.206  111.5   17.1   105   30.3 
2026-05-17 00:00 UT   10 41 03.3   -15 42 44     2.706    3.205  110.6   17.2   105   30.3 
2026-05-18 00:00 UT   10 41 15.5   -15 33 16     2.718    3.205  109.8   17.3   105   30.4 
2026-05-19 00:00 UT   10 41 28.9   -15 23 58     2.730    3.204  108.9   17.4   106   30.4 
2026-05-20 00:00 UT   10 41 43.5   -15 14 50     2.742    3.203  108.0   17.5   106   30.4 
2026-05-21 00:00 UT   10 41 59.3   -15 05 53     2.754    3.202  107.1   17.6   107   30.4 
2026-05-22 00:00 UT   10 42 16.2   -14 57 06     2.767    3.201  106.3   17.7   107   30.4 
2026-05-23 00:00 UT   10 42 34.3   -14 48 30     2.779    3.200  105.4   17.8   108   30.4 
2026-05-24 00:00 UT   10 42 53.5   -14 40 05     2.791    3.199  104.5   17.8   108   30.4 
2026-05-25 00:00 UT   10 43 13.9   -14 31 50     2.804    3.199  103.7   17.9   108   30.4 
2026-05-26 00:00 UT   10 43 35.3   -14 23 45     2.816    3.198  102.8   18.0   109   30.4 
2026-05-27 00:00 UT   10 43 57.8   -14 15 51     2.829    3.197  102.0   18.1   109   30.5 
2026-05-28 00:00 UT   10 44 21.3   -14 08 08     2.842    3.196  101.1   18.1   109   30.5 
2026-05-29 00:00 UT   10 44 45.9   -14 00 35     2.854    3.195  100.3   18.2   110   30.5 
2026-05-30 00:00 UT   10 45 11.5   -13 53 13     2.867    3.194   99.4   18.2   110   30.5 

    Terminology:
            
    delta:  distance between minor planet and earth in AU
    radius: distance between minor planet and sun in AU
    magn:   magnitude (brightness) estimate    
    ra:     right ascension in hours (24h = 360deg)
    dec:    declination in degrees
    elong:  elongation in degrees (angle sun-earth-minor planet)    
    phase:  phase angle in degrees (angle sun-minor planet-earth)        
    AU:     Astronomical Unit (mean distance between earth and sun: 149597870.7 km
    

Orbital elements provided by the MPC (Minor Planet Center).
Calculations by a modified version of AAPlus, a C# implementation of the AA+ project by PJ Naughter from the algorithms presented in the book "Astronomical Algorithms" by Jean Meeus.
NGC2000 dso catalog and star labels from VizieR as provided by the Strasbourg astronomical Data Center.
Tycho2 catalog from the ESO archive.