Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
  • Will pass within 5,028,887 km of Earth in 2146
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

2002 XO14 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2002 XO14 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2002 XO14 orbits the sun every 1,700 days (4.65 years), coming as close as 0.98 AU and reaching as far as 4.59 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2002 XO14 is probably between 0.101 to 0.226 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.

Close Approaches

2002 XO14's orbit is 0.00 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that its orbit is very close to Earth's orbit.

2002 XO14 has 1 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Feb. 4, 2146 5,028,887 8.254

Images and Observations

2002 XO14's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Nov. 14, 2002. It was last officially observed on March 25, 2003. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 140 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 XO14:

References

Search

   or view a random object

Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.784 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.647
  • Inclination: 2.62°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 295.3°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 184.89°
  • Mean Anomaly: 159.19°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.130 km
  • Magnitude: 22.1

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,700 days (4.65 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 17.82 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 4.59 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.98 AU

Map Comparison

Click to load map

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 2002 XO14 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 below comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of 2002 XO14 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.