12666 (1978 XW)

Mid-sized Main-belt Asteroid

Space Reference » Main-belt Asteroids » 12666 (1978 XW)

Key Facts

Overview

12666 (1978 XW) is a mid-sized asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter in the main portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified 1978 XW as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

1978 XW orbits the sun every 1,940 days (5.31 years), coming as close as 2.47 AU and reaching as far as 3.61 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 1978 XW is probably between 4.727 to 10.569 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

No Close Approaches

1978 XW's orbit is 1.48 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is an extremely wide berth between this asteroid and Earth at all times.

Orbital simulations conducted by NASA JPL's CNEOS do not show any close approaches to Earth.

Images and Observations

1978 XW's orbit is determined by observations dating back to April 15, 1975. It was last officially observed on June 22, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,843 observations used to determine its orbit.

Accessibility and Exploration

This asteroid is not considered a viable target for human exploration by the NHATS study.

Similar Objects

These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 1978 XW:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.04 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1886
  • Inclination: 1.86°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 105.7°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 5.9°
  • Mean Anomaly: 119.8°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~6.102 km
  • Magnitude: 13.75

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,940 days (5.31 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 17.05 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.61 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.47 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 12666 (1978 XW) is indicated by a ◯ pink circle. Note that the object may not be in your current field of view. Use the controls below to adjust position, location, and time.

Size Rendering

The above comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of 1978 XW to create an approximate landscape rendering with Mount Everest in the background. This approximation is built for full-resolution desktop browsers. Shape, color, and texture of asteroid are imagined.