Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge
  • Will pass within 12,833,372 km of Earth in 2032
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

170086 (2002 XR14) is a small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2002 XR14 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2002 XR14 orbits the sun every 961 days (2.63 years), coming as close as 0.71 AU and reaching as far as 3.10 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2002 XR14 is probably between 0.598 to 1.337 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.

Close Approaches

2002 XR14's orbit is 0.01 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 XR14 has 7 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Jan. 17, 2032 12,833,372 19.410
Jan. 13, 2053 22,172,235 21.443
July 6, 2079 25,435,383 22.021
June 27, 2100 2,543,609 17.466
Feb. 19, 2137 29,514,623 12.502
Jan. 24, 2166 4,023,874 17.374
Jan. 28, 2187 5,898,370 16.102

Images and Observations

2002 XR14's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Dec. 5, 2002. It was last officially observed on Sept. 25, 2019. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 281 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 2002 XR14:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 1.906 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.626
  • Inclination: 2.13°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 75.48°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 120.48°
  • Mean Anomaly: 279.36°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.772 km
  • Magnitude: 18.24

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 961 days (2.63 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 21.58 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.10 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.71 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 170086 (2002 XR14) 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 2002 XR14 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.