Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Amor-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the U.S. Capitol building
  • Will pass within 10,165,850 km of Earth in 2057
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

2013 XN24 is a very small asteroid whose orbit approaches the orbit of Earth but does not cross it. NASA JPL has classified 2013 XN24 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2013 XN24 orbits the sun every 1,610 days (4.41 years), coming as close as 1.02 AU and reaching as far as 4.36 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2013 XN24 is probably between 0.370 to 0.828 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 90% of asteroids but tiny compared to large asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the U.S. Capitol building.

Close Approaches

2013 XN24'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.

2013 XN24 has 2 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Dec. 30, 2057 10,165,850 10.592
Dec. 16, 2196 19,058,308 11.516

Images and Observations

2013 XN24's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Sept. 20, 2013. It was last officially observed on Aug. 17, 2017. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 62 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 2013 XN24:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.691 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.6205
  • Inclination: 13.92°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 279.13°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 173.07°
  • Mean Anomaly: 81.31°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.478 km
  • Magnitude: 19.28

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,610 days (4.41 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 18.18 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 4.36 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.02 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 2013 XN24 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 2013 XN24 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.