620107 (2020 XK7)

Very small Apollo-class Asteroid

Near-Earth Potentially Hazardous
Space Reference » Apollo-class Asteroids » 620107 (2020 XK7)

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the U.S. Capitol building
  • Will pass within 18,151,669 km of Earth in 2021
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

620107 (2020 XK7) is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2020 XK7 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2020 XK7 orbits the sun every 1,040 days (2.85 years), coming as close as 0.89 AU and reaching as far as 3.14 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2020 XK7 is probably between 0.323 to 0.721 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 90% of asteroids but tiny compared to large asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the U.S. Capitol building.

The rotation of 2020 XK7 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 40.90 hours.

Close Approaches

2020 XK7'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.

2020 XK7 has 9 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
March 11, 2021 18,151,669 15.579
March 6, 2041 28,399,584 17.673
March 14, 2061 16,185,771 14.998
April 5, 2081 10,098,473 10.929
April 18, 2101 16,255,455 10.797
April 8, 2121 11,541,786 10.958
May 30, 2141 20,940,204 10.503
March 22, 2164 6,595,496 13.085
March 18, 2184 9,478,185 13.956

Images and Observations

2020 XK7's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Dec. 12, 2014. It was last officially observed on Oct. 4, 2021. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 137 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 2020 XK7:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.012 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.5593
  • Inclination: 8.08°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 197.59°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 26.95°
  • Mean Anomaly: 303.81°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.416 km
  • Magnitude: 19.58

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,040 days (2.85 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 21.05 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.14 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.89 AU
  • Rotation Period: 40.90 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 620107 (2020 XK7) 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 2020 XK7 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.