Key Facts
- Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
- Will pass within 4,573,861 km of Earth in 2019
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
2015 XC352 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2015 XC352 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.
2015 XC352 orbits the sun every 374 days (1.02 years), coming as close as 0.87 AU and reaching as far as 1.16 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2015 XC352 is probably between 0.013 to 0.056 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
Close Approaches
2015 XC352'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.
2015 XC352 has 21 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| July 1, 2019 | 4,573,861 | 4.101 |
| July 6, 2020 | 15,330,367 | 7.636 |
| Dec. 20, 2059 | 26,218,686 | 9.874 |
| Dec. 26, 2060 | 5,573,182 | 5.895 |
| Jan. 4, 2062 | 12,063,052 | 3.017 |
| Nov. 1, 2062 | 23,953,028 | 3.875 |
| March 11, 2063 | 21,687,051 | 4.278 |
| Sept. 29, 2063 | 26,752,575 | 4.149 |
| April 23, 2064 | 21,366,685 | 4.139 |
| Aug. 24, 2064 | 23,429,016 | 3.703 |
| June 27, 2065 | 10,595,212 | 3.177 |
| July 4, 2066 | 6,444,364 | 6.000 |
| July 10, 2067 | 25,857,194 | 9.621 |
| Dec. 24, 2107 | 18,903,870 | 8.428 |
| Dec. 29, 2108 | 709,374 | 4.891 |
| Oct. 20, 2109 | 27,284,867 | 4.109 |
| June 27, 2111 | 5,913,632 | 5.851 |
| Dec. 22, 2132 | 22,159,269 | 9.038 |
| June 22, 2135 | 10,416,057 | 3.234 |
| July 3, 2136 | 27,977,675 | 9.988 |
| July 3, 2161 | 29,539,541 | 10.283 |
Images and Observations
2015 XC352's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Dec. 6, 2015. It was last officially observed on July 5, 2019. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 84 observations used to determine its orbit.
Accessibility and Exploration
2015 XC352 can be reached with a journey of 410 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 6.876 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 53,069 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2015 XC352.
Similar Objects
These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 2015 XC352:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 1.015 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.1456
- Inclination: 4.48°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 98.57°
- Argument of Periapsis: 83.0°
- Mean Anomaly: 121.79°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.035 km
- Magnitude: 25.7
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 374 days (1.02 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 29.52 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.16 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.87 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 2015 XC352 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 2015 XC352 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.
