(2018 VA2)
Tracked by NASA JPL Near-Earth Object Web Service (NeoWs), (2018 VA2) is a C-type (Carbonaceous Chondrite) body measuring between 10.2m and 22.81m in diameter. On 2026-10-20, it completes a cislunar approach at 78.21 Lunar Distances (30,075,577.3 km) with a relative heliocentric velocity of 12.44 km/s.
(2018 VA2) (JPL ID 3836051) is a C-type (Carbonaceous Chondrite) Near-Earth Asteroid spanning 10.2m–22.8m (mean 16.5m). On 2026-10-20, it transits Earth's cislunar surveillance sector at 78.206 Lunar Distances (30,075,577 km) with a relative velocity of 12.44 km/s and a theoretical kinetic energy reserve of 0.12 megatons TNT. Its well-constrained heliocentric ephemeris passes safely outside Earth capture corridors while serving as an orbital calibration target.
Exact Landmark Scale Comparison (22.81m)
Kinetic Impact Physics & Orbital Parameters
(2018 VA2) (H = 27.1, Vmag ≈ 25.0) is below consumer optical detection thresholds (requires ≥1000mm survey aperture); explore certified meteorite specimens[↗] or indoor optical projection instead.
Campo del Cielo Meteorite Specimen (Certified Iron-Nickel)
Authentic coarse octahedrite Group IAB iron-nickel meteorite fragment (92.9% Fe, 6.7% Ni) recovered from the Chaco crater field with certificate of authenticity.
Satin-black 5W warm-white LED optical glass lens planetarium projecting 60,000 stars and simulated meteor shower trajectories indoors.
3D Ephemeris Trajectory Waypoints
Planetary Defense Frequently Asked Questions (Schema.org FAQ)
How big is (2018 VA2) compared to city landmarks?
(2018 VA2) has an estimated diameter between 10.2m and 22.81m. At its upper-bound size of 22.81m, it stands 5% as tall as the 443m Empire State Building in New York City and 7% of the 330m Eiffel Tower.
Will (2018 VA2) impact Earth during its 2026-10-20 approach?
No. NASA JPL Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) orbital solutions confirm (2018 VA2) will pass safely at a minimum distance of 78.21 Lunar Distances (30,075,577.3 km). You can still simulate a hypothetical street-level impact in our 3D CesiumJS simulator.
High-transmission BaK-4 Porro prism 15x70 optics with tripod adapter for bright near-Earth flybys, comets, and bolide shower radiants.
Autonomous apochromatic triplet smart telescope with integrated plate-solving, live stacking, and dual-band filter for magnitude 10–16 NEOs.
Ultra-portable Sony IMX678 starlight tele-camera with AI equatorial tracking and automated asteroid field stacking.
Authentic coarse octahedrite Group IAB iron-nickel meteorite fragment (92.9% Fe, 6.7% Ni) recovered from the Chaco crater field.
Low-read-noise Sony STARVIS 2 CMOS planetary and all-sky meteor bolide detection camera with 2.0μm pixels.