1999 XS35

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
• Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge
• Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
• Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
• See orbit simulation

Overview

1999 XS35 is a small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 1999 XS35 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

1999 XS35 orbits the sun every 27,400 days (75.02 years), coming as close as 0.92 AU and reaching as far as 34.66 AU from the sun. Its orbit is highly elliptical. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 1999 XS35 is probably between 0.770 to 1.722 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.

No Close Approaches

1999 XS35'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.

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

Images and Observations

1999 XS35's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Dec. 2, 1999. It was last officially observed on Feb. 28, 2000. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 212 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 1999 XS35:

• 2005 UH525
• 2016 GZ251

References

• JPL Small Body Database
• Mission Design
• Sky Finder Chart

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 1999 XS35 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 1999 XS35 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.