2019 VL5

{{Short description|Near-Earth asteroid}}

{{DISPLAYTITLE:{{mp|2019 VL|5}}}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}

{{Infobox planet

| minorplanet=yes

| background=#FFC2E0

| name={{mp|2019 VL|5}}

| discoverer=LINEAR

| discovered= 9 November 2019

| alt_names=

| mp_category={{Hlist

| NEO

| Aten

}}

| orbit_ref=

| observation_arc=1827 days (5.00 years)

| uncertainty=0

| epoch=17 October 2024 (JD 2460600.5)

| semimajor={{Convert|0.999029|AU|Gm|abbr=on}}

| perihelion={{Convert|0.720270|AU|Gm|abbr=on}}

| aphelion={{Convert|1.277788|AU|Gm|abbr=on|lk=on}}

| eccentricity=0.279030

| period=0.9986 yr (364.72 d)

| inclination=1.73671°

| asc_node=279.28599°

| arg_peri=237.69006°

| mean_anomaly=260.08477°

| mean_motion=0.98705°/day

| moid={{Convert|0.00700361|AU|km|abbr=on}}

| mean_diameter=30 m

| rotation=

| albedo=

| spectral_type=

| abs_magnitude=25.86

}}

{{mp|2019 VL|5}} is a tiny asteroid, classified as a near-Earth object of the Aten group moving in a 1:1 mean-motion resonance with Earth. Because of that, it is in a co-orbital configuration relative to Earth. {{mp|2019 VL|5}} is currently in a 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 orbit, then back to a horseshoe orbit after a few decades.{{cite journal |first1=Qi |last1=Yi |first2=Qiao |last2=Dong |title=Stability Analysis of Earth Co-orbital Objects |journal=The Astronomical Journal |volume=163 |issue=5 |at=section 211 |date=May 2022 |doi=10.3847/1538-3881/ac5e2c |doi-access=free |bibcode=2022AJ....163..211Q }}

China planned to launch an asteroid deflection probe targeting {{mp|2019 VL|5}} in 2025,{{cite news |first=Andrew |last=Jones |url=https://spacenews.com/china-to-target-asteroid-2019-vl5-for-2025-planetary-defense-test/ |title=China to target asteroid 2019 VL5 for 2025 planetary defense test |work=SpaceNews |date=April 11, 2023 |access-date=January 26, 2024 }} but later changed the target to {{mpl|2015 XF|261}}.{{cite web |title=China targets its first planetary defense test mission |url=https://www.planetary.org/articles/china-targets-its-first-planetary-defense-test-mission |website=The Planetary Society |language=en}}