Key Facts

Overview

141079 (2001 XS30) is a small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2001 XS30 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 XS30 orbits the sun every 459 days (1.26 years), coming as close as 0.20 AU and reaching as far as 2.13 AU from the sun. Its orbit is highly elliptical. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2001 XS30 is probably between 0.746 to 1.667 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than ~97% of asteroids but small compared to large asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge.

The rotation of 2001 XS30 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 3.76 hours.

2001 XS30's spectral type None (Tholen) / Xc (SMASSII) indicates that it is likely to contain iron, nickel, cobalt, and platinum.

No Close Approaches

2001 XS30's orbit is 0.30 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.

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

Images and Observations

2001 XS30's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Nov. 16, 1998. It was last officially observed on Dec. 25, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,272 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 XS30:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 1.164 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.8282
  • Inclination: 28.54°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 251.45°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 0.88°
  • Mean Anomaly: 352.1°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.963 km
  • Magnitude: 17.76
  • Spectral type (SMASS): Xc

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 459 days (1.26 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 27.59 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.13 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.20 AU
  • Rotation Period: 3.76 hours
  • Approx. Composition: iron, nickel, cobalt, and platinum.

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 141079 (2001 XS30) 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 XS30 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.