141052 (2001 XR1)

Mid-sized Apollo-class Asteroid

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Space Reference » Apollo-class Asteroids » 141052 (2001 XR1)

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge
  • Will pass within 17,035,352 km of Earth in 2041
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

141052 (2001 XR1) is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2001 XR1 as a "Near Earth Asteroid" due to its orbit's proximity to Earth, but it is not considered potentially hazardous because computer simulations have not indicated any imminent likelihood of future collision.

2001 XR1 orbits the sun every 508 days (1.39 years), coming as close as 0.56 AU and reaching as far as 1.93 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2001 XR1 is probably between 0.844 to 1.888 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge.

The rotation of 2001 XR1 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 7.66 hours.

2001 XR1's spectral type None (Tholen) / Sq (SMASSII) indicates that it is likely to contain and .

Close Approaches

2001 XR1's orbit is 0.10 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is a wide berth between this asteroid and Earth at all times.

2001 XR1 has 7 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Jan. 27, 2041 17,035,352 20.634
Jan. 30, 2066 17,388,527 17.946
Feb. 2, 2091 27,435,568 15.494
Jan. 23, 2098 29,195,811 23.917
Jan. 28, 2123 19,096,239 21.206
Jan. 31, 2148 16,212,308 19.062
Feb. 2, 2173 22,182,727 16.678

Images and Observations

2001 XR1's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Nov. 27, 1987. It was last officially observed on Jan. 8, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 982 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 2001 XR1:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 1.246 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.5501
  • Inclination: 17.66°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 291.49°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 304.17°
  • Mean Anomaly: 139.2°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~1.090 km
  • Magnitude: 17.49
  • Spectral type (SMASS): Sq

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 508 days (1.39 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 26.68 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 1.93 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.56 AU
  • Rotation Period: 7.66 hours
  • Approx. Composition: and .

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 141052 (2001 XR1) 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 2001 XR1 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.