Key Facts

Overview

Xosa is a large asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter in the main portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified Xosa as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

Xosa orbits the sun every 1,510 days (4.13 years), coming as close as 1.90 AU and reaching as far as 3.24 AU from the sun. Xosa is about 14.0 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the city of Cleveland, Ohio.

The rotation of Xosa has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 292.00 hours.

No Close Approaches

Xosa's orbit is 0.91 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is a very 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

Xosa's orbit is determined by observations dating back to May 15, 1939. It was last officially observed on March 5, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,934 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 Xosa:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.571 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.2609
  • Inclination: 12.57°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 234.46°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 45.28°
  • Mean Anomaly: 143.5°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 13.96300 km
  • Magnitude: 12.03
  • Albedo: 0.157

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,510 days (4.13 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 18.52 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.24 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.90 AU
  • Rotation Period: 292.00 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Xosa 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.