218017 (2001 XV266)

Very small Apollo-class Asteroid

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Space Reference » Apollo-class Asteroids » 218017 (2001 XV266)

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the U.S. Capitol building (0.45 km diameter)
  • Will pass within 15,975,255 km of Earth in 2026
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

218017 (2001 XV266) is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2001 XV266 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.

2001 XV266 orbits the sun every 478 days (1.31 years), coming as close as 0.97 AU and reaching as far as 1.43 AU from the sun. 2001 XV266 is about 0.5 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 90% of asteroids but tiny compared to large asteroids, comparable in size to the U.S. Capitol building.

Close Approaches

2001 XV266's orbit is 0.11 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.

2001 XV266 has 17 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Nov. 14, 2026 15,975,255 7.267
April 8, 2027 21,539,977 6.670
Nov. 11, 2043 18,982,509 6.732
April 3, 2044 18,568,577 7.080
Nov. 3, 2060 26,117,853 6.473
April 1, 2061 19,441,597 8.111
Nov. 16, 2098 17,782,699 8.331
April 15, 2099 27,243,119 6.505
Nov. 15, 2115 16,304,835 7.221
April 8, 2116 21,074,972 6.678
Nov. 11, 2132 19,590,976 6.708
April 4, 2133 18,174,889 7.133
Nov. 4, 2149 27,054,468 6.487
April 2, 2150 19,678,329 8.269
Nov. 16, 2170 29,075,981 10.626
Nov. 17, 2187 17,503,637 8.167
April 14, 2188 26,399,878 6.486

Images and Observations

2001 XV266's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Dec. 9, 2001. It was last officially observed on June 23, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 271 observations used to determine its orbit.

Accessibility and Exploration

2001 XV266 can be reached with a journey of 362 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 11.181 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 369 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.

See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2001 XV266.

Similar Objects

These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 2001 XV266:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 1.196 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1927
  • Inclination: 12.0°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 214.08°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 265.08°
  • Mean Anomaly: 158.99°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 0.45100 km
  • Magnitude: 19.82
  • Albedo: 0.115

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 478 days (1.31 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 27.22 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 1.43 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.97 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 218017 (2001 XV266) 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 2001 XV266 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.