Key Facts
- Categorized as a Aten-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
- Will pass within 15,924,343 km of Earth in 2019
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
2006 XP4 is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2006 XP4 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.
2006 XP4 orbits the sun every 298 days (0.82 years), coming as close as 0.69 AU and reaching as far as 1.06 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2006 XP4 is probably between 0.029 to 0.129 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
Close Approaches
2006 XP4's orbit is 0.00 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that its orbit is relatively close to Earth's orbit.
2006 XP4 has 21 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Nov. 17, 2019 | 15,924,343 | 9.142 |
| Dec. 12, 2028 | 9,855,087 | 4.574 |
| Feb. 13, 2038 | 6,322,302 | 7.056 |
| Nov. 17, 2041 | 9,225,678 | 7.674 |
| Jan. 3, 2051 | 11,410,895 | 4.657 |
| Feb. 14, 2060 | 13,735,080 | 8.659 |
| Nov. 18, 2063 | 5,357,870 | 6.859 |
| Dec. 21, 2072 | 11,070,451 | 4.620 |
| March 28, 2073 | 29,797,647 | 2.940 |
| Jan. 25, 2082 | 9,277,416 | 4.597 |
| Feb. 4, 2091 | 5,738,363 | 4.767 |
| Feb. 13, 2100 | 3,655,604 | 6.484 |
| Nov. 19, 2103 | 16,911,910 | 9.324 |
| Dec. 22, 2112 | 10,895,019 | 4.628 |
| March 27, 2113 | 29,654,063 | 2.803 |
| Feb. 14, 2122 | 2,521,135 | 6.274 |
| Nov. 20, 2125 | 4,050,661 | 6.568 |
| Feb. 15, 2135 | 5,920,681 | 6.954 |
| Nov. 21, 2138 | 1,917,624 | 6.133 |
| Feb. 16, 2166 | 14,131,940 | 8.696 |
| Nov. 20, 2169 | 8,283,355 | 7.466 |
Images and Observations
2006 XP4's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Dec. 14, 2006. It was last officially observed on Jan. 8, 2020. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 152 observations used to determine its orbit.
Accessibility and Exploration
2006 XP4 can be reached with a journey of 330 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 7.252 km/s. To put this into perspective, the delta-v to launch a rocket to Low-Earth Orbit is 9.7 km/s. There are 174,632 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2006 XP4.
Similar Objects
These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 2006 XP4:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 0.8726 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.2142
- Inclination: 0.52°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 293.03°
- Argument of Periapsis: 346.96°
- Mean Anomaly: 353.99°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.079 km
- Magnitude: 23.9
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 298 days (0.82 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 31.86 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.06 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.69 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 2006 XP4 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 2006 XP4 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.
