163679 (2002 XG84) is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2002 XG84 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.
2002 XG84 orbits the sun every 668 days (1.83 years), coming as close as 0.79 AU and reaching as far as 2.20 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2002 XG84 is probably between 0.365 to 0.817 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 90% of asteroids but tiny compared to large asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the U.S. Capitol building.
2002 XG84's orbit is 0.07 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.
2002 XG84 has 15 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
---|---|---|
Sept. 5, 2024 | 27,097,778 | 10.063 |
Aug. 2, 2035 | 13,360,407 | 12.039 |
Dec. 27, 2044 | 23,615,421 | 16.650 |
July 19, 2046 | 29,366,006 | 17.537 |
Dec. 11, 2055 | 13,109,409 | 11.004 |
Oct. 31, 2066 | 28,816,052 | 10.796 |
Aug. 10, 2088 | 17,128,050 | 10.390 |
July 24, 2099 | 21,746,081 | 15.773 |
Dec. 18, 2108 | 10,856,361 | 12.450 |
Nov. 14, 2119 | 25,978,484 | 10.283 |
Aug. 26, 2141 | 23,205,869 | 9.676 |
July 29, 2152 | 15,523,310 | 14.003 |
Dec. 23, 2161 | 13,402,752 | 13.972 |
Nov. 27, 2172 | 21,123,973 | 9.874 |
Sept. 5, 2194 | 26,227,323 | 9.970 |
2002 XG84's orbit is determined by observations dating back to June 18, 2002. It was last officially observed on Feb. 19, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 193 observations used to determine its orbit.
The position of 163679 (2002 XG84) 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.
The below comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of 2002 XG84 to create an approximate landscape rendering with New York City in the background. This approximation is built for full-resolution desktop browsers. Shape, color, and texture of asteroid are imagined.