Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge
  • Will pass within 20,254,371 km of Earth in 2026
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

26663 (2000 XK47) is a small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2000 XK47 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2000 XK47 orbits the sun every 702 days (1.92 years), coming as close as 0.82 AU and reaching as far as 2.28 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2000 XK47 is probably between 0.612 to 1.368 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than ~97% of asteroids but small compared to large asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge.

The rotation of 2000 XK47 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 2.57 hours.

Close Approaches

2000 XK47's orbit is 0.04 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.

2000 XK47 has 6 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Jan. 7, 2026 20,254,371 17.185
Jan. 31, 2074 17,626,841 11.585
Jan. 19, 2099 5,884,309 13.310
Jan. 20, 2124 5,377,096 13.408
Jan. 26, 2149 11,942,179 12.218
Feb. 17, 2174 28,013,035 11.158

Images and Observations

2000 XK47's orbit is determined by observations dating back to July 12, 1974. It was last officially observed on July 17, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 396 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 2000 XK47:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 1.546 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.4717
  • Inclination: 13.53°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 303.61°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 231.22°
  • Mean Anomaly: 263.72°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.790 km
  • Magnitude: 18.19

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 702 days (1.92 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 23.96 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.28 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.82 AU
  • Rotation Period: 2.57 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 26663 (2000 XK47) 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 above comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of 2000 XK47 to create an approximate landscape rendering with Mount Everest in the background. This approximation is built for full-resolution desktop browsers. Shape, color, and texture of asteroid are imagined.