2018 XE4

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
• Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
• Will pass within 2,150,325 km of Earth in 2020
• Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
• Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
• See orbit simulation

Overview

2018 XE4 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2018 XE4 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.

2018 XE4 orbits the sun every 734 days (2.01 years), coming as close as 0.88 AU and reaching as far as 2.31 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2018 XE4 is probably between 0.014 to 0.031 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.

Close Approaches

2018 XE4's orbit is 0.01 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that its orbit is relatively close to Earth's orbit.

2018 XE4 has 19 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Images and Observations

2018 XE4's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Dec. 12, 2018. It was last officially observed on Dec. 19, 2020. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 25 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 2018 XE4:

• 2135 Aristaeus (1977 HA)
• 31662 (1999 HP11)
• 41429 (2000 GE2)

References

• JPL Small Body Database
• Mission Design
• Sky Finder Chart

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 2018 XE4 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.