Key Facts
- Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
- Will pass within 12,597,035 km of Earth in 2019
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
2019 XS is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2019 XS 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.
2019 XS orbits the sun every 368 days (1.01 years), coming as close as 0.68 AU and reaching as far as 1.33 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2019 XS is probably between 0.030 to 0.132 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
The rotation of 2019 XS has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 2.35 hours.
Close Approaches
2019 XS'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.
2019 XS has 31 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Nov. 8, 2019 | 12,597,035 | 8.195 |
| Nov. 7, 2020 | 5,792,233 | 9.475 |
| Nov. 9, 2021 | 573,916 | 10.684 |
| Nov. 10, 2022 | 6,406,351 | 11.869 |
| Nov. 12, 2023 | 13,915,391 | 13.381 |
| Nov. 14, 2024 | 21,872,537 | 14.993 |
| March 29, 2126 | 23,880,388 | 15.119 |
| March 31, 2127 | 18,063,877 | 13.896 |
| April 1, 2128 | 12,828,104 | 12.722 |
| April 2, 2129 | 8,725,751 | 11.655 |
| April 4, 2130 | 6,706,093 | 10.713 |
| April 5, 2131 | 7,685,569 | 9.784 |
| April 6, 2132 | 10,945,055 | 8.860 |
| April 7, 2133 | 15,479,664 | 7.824 |
| April 8, 2134 | 20,626,047 | 6.788 |
| April 4, 2135 | 26,061,737 | 5.986 |
| Nov. 21, 2158 | 28,936,341 | 6.635 |
| Nov. 13, 2159 | 23,717,573 | 6.583 |
| Nov. 8, 2160 | 18,205,955 | 7.196 |
| Nov. 8, 2161 | 12,832,825 | 8.106 |
| Nov. 9, 2162 | 7,851,881 | 9.066 |
| Nov. 9, 2163 | 3,421,408 | 9.922 |
| Nov. 9, 2164 | 829,557 | 10.456 |
| Nov. 9, 2165 | 6,369,227 | 9.348 |
| Nov. 8, 2166 | 13,205,030 | 8.051 |
| April 2, 2188 | 14,519,616 | 8.046 |
| April 1, 2189 | 8,532,799 | 9.588 |
| March 30, 2190 | 7,699,059 | 11.127 |
| March 28, 2191 | 13,235,867 | 12.744 |
| March 25, 2192 | 21,031,905 | 14.480 |
| March 23, 2193 | 29,563,549 | 16.302 |
Images and Observations
2019 XS's orbit is determined by observations dating back to April 4, 2000. It was last officially observed on Dec. 9, 2021. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 129 observations used to determine its orbit.
Accessibility and Exploration
2019 XS can be reached with a journey of 434 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 10.067 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 4,002 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2019 XS.
Similar Objects
These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 2019 XS:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 1.005 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.3263
- Inclination: 4.45°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 49.47°
- Argument of Periapsis: 250.42°
- Mean Anomaly: 7.22°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.081 km
- Magnitude: 23.85
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 368 days (1.01 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 29.71 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.33 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.68 AU
- Rotation Period: 2.35 hours
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 2019 XS 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 2019 XS 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.
