Key Facts
- Categorized as a Amor-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge
- Will pass within 5,957,663 km of Earth in 2087
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
- See orbit simulation
Overview
200840 (2001 XN254) is a small asteroid whose orbit approaches the orbit of Earth but does not cross it. NASA JPL has classified 2001 XN254 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.
2001 XN254 orbits the sun every 1,290 days (3.53 years), coming as close as 1.02 AU and reaching as far as 3.62 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2001 XN254 is probably between 0.735 to 1.645 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.
2001 XN254's spectral type None (Tholen) / S (SMASSII) indicates that it is likely to contain and .
Close Approaches
2001 XN254's orbit is 0.04 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.
2001 XN254 has 4 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| April 4, 2087 | 5,957,663 | 7.160 |
| Feb. 26, 2133 | 15,374,403 | 10.133 |
| April 27, 2140 | 12,730,187 | 9.734 |
| April 15, 2186 | 8,041,250 | 7.587 |
Images and Observations
2001 XN254's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Dec. 8, 1994. It was last officially observed on Dec. 26, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 722 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 2001 XN254:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 2.321 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.5608
- Inclination: 1.94°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 264.07°
- Argument of Periapsis: 278.75°
- Mean Anomaly: 20.72°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.949 km
- Magnitude: 17.79
- Spectral type (SMASS): S
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 1,290 days (3.53 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 19.57 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 3.62 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 1.02 AU
- Approx. Composition: and .
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 200840 (2001 XN254) 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 2001 XN254 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.
