96590 (1998 XB)

Small Aten-class Asteroid

Near-Earth
Space Reference » Aten-class Asteroids » 96590 (1998 XB)

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Aten-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge (0.88 km diameter)
  • Will pass within 27,235,813 km of Earth in 2029
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

96590 (1998 XB) is a small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 1998 XB 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.

1998 XB orbits the sun every 316 days (0.87 years), coming as close as 0.59 AU and reaching as far as 1.23 AU from the sun. 1998 XB is about 0.9 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than ~97% of asteroids but small compared to large asteroids, comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge.

The rotation of 1998 XB has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 520.00 hours.

Close Approaches

1998 XB'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.

1998 XB has 13 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Nov. 28, 2029 27,235,813 10.131
Nov. 13, 2035 25,762,913 15.226
Nov. 14, 2048 17,001,025 11.653
Nov. 24, 2061 24,488,886 10.169
Nov. 13, 2080 17,285,094 12.372
Nov. 21, 2093 21,791,350 10.332
Nov. 14, 2112 18,693,766 13.131
Nov. 19, 2125 19,515,183 10.588
Nov. 14, 2144 21,087,940 13.986
Nov. 17, 2157 17,841,309 10.952
Dec. 1, 2170 27,662,565 10.127
Nov. 14, 2176 24,658,571 15.018
Nov. 16, 2189 16,750,203 11.519

Images and Observations

1998 XB's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Jan. 1, 1992. It was last officially observed on May 15, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,746 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 1998 XB:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 0.9079 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.3511
  • Inclination: 13.6°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 75.69°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 202.71°
  • Mean Anomaly: 62.13°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 0.88200 km
  • Magnitude: 16.32
  • Albedo: 0.489
  • Spectral type (SMASS): S:

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 316 days (0.87 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 31.26 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 1.23 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.59 AU
  • Rotation Period: 520.00 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 96590 (1998 XB) 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 1998 XB 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.