2018 XX3 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2018 XX3 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.
2018 XX3 orbits the sun every 383 days (1.05 years), coming as close as 0.90 AU and reaching as far as 1.16 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2018 XX3 is probably between 0.002 to 0.009 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
2018 XX3'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.
2018 XX3 has 8 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| June 15, 2038 | 18,456,846 | 7.710 |
| May 4, 2039 | 21,686,930 | 3.416 |
| Sept. 6, 2039 | 18,378,680 | 3.545 |
| Feb. 13, 2040 | 24,849,037 | 3.764 |
| Dec. 14, 2040 | 12,082,214 | 6.653 |
| June 21, 2060 | 7,468,266 | 3.250 |
| March 13, 2061 | 27,671,478 | 4.088 |
| Dec. 8, 2061 | 3,093,430 | 3.926 |
NASA Sentry has assessed impact risk for 3 very close approach scenarios. Here are the top scenarios ordered by probability of impact:
| Date | Probability of Impact (%) | Impact Energy (Mt) |
|---|---|---|
| Dec. 10, 2088 | 0.00009 | 0.001377 |
| Dec. 11, 2112 | 0.00003 | 0.001375 |
| Dec. 12, 2118 | 0.00001 | 0.001373 |
2018 XX3's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Dec. 13, 2018. It was last officially observed on Dec. 25, 2018. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 24 observations used to determine its orbit.
2018 XX3 can be reached with a journey of 362 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 5.487 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 457,719 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2018 XX3.
The position of 2018 XX3 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.