2014 XC8

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
• Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
• Will pass within 22,630,962 km of Earth in 2020
• Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
• Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
• See orbit simulation

Overview

2014 XC8 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2014 XC8 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.

2014 XC8 orbits the sun every 426 days (1.17 years), coming as close as 0.68 AU and reaching as far as 1.53 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2014 XC8 is probably between 0.015 to 0.033 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.

Close Approaches

2014 XC8'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.

2014 XC8 has 8 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Images and Observations

2014 XC8's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Dec. 15, 2014. It was last officially observed on Dec. 24, 2014. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 42 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 2014 XC8:

• 22099 (2000 EX106)
• 55408 (2001 TC2)
• 137099 (1998 YW3)

References

• JPL Small Body Database
• Mission Design
• Sky Finder Chart

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 2014 XC8 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.