2008 XB1

Very small Apollo-class Asteroid

Near-Earth Potentially Hazardous
Space Reference » Apollo-class Asteroids » 2008 XB1

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to a football field
  • Will pass within 17,290,019 km of Earth in 2028
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

2008 XB1 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2008 XB1 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2008 XB1 orbits the sun every 562 days (1.54 years), coming as close as 0.84 AU and reaching as far as 1.83 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2008 XB1 is probably between 0.168 to 0.377 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a football field.

Close Approaches

2008 XB1's orbit is 0.05 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.

2008 XB1 has 13 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Dec. 2, 2028 17,290,019 13.529
Dec. 2, 2048 17,541,987 13.611
Dec. 3, 2068 20,286,497 14.441
June 22, 2082 29,315,014 16.943
Dec. 5, 2088 24,967,737 15.555
June 25, 2102 24,884,538 16.094
Dec. 7, 2108 27,938,727 16.228
June 25, 2122 24,885,845 16.119
Dec. 7, 2128 26,311,887 15.885
Dec. 5, 2148 21,111,505 14.692
Dec. 3, 2168 16,089,436 13.267
July 19, 2185 27,434,934 8.086
Dec. 2, 2188 14,250,415 12.209

Images and Observations

2008 XB1's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Dec. 3, 2008. It was last officially observed on June 1, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 112 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 2008 XB1:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 1.332 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.3727
  • Inclination: 12.68°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 270.33°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 84.1°
  • Mean Anomaly: 253.0°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.218 km
  • Magnitude: 20.99

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 562 days (1.54 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 25.78 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 1.83 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.84 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 2008 XB1 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 2008 XB1 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.