Key Facts
- Categorized as a Aten-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
- Will pass within 6,699,684 km of Earth in 2019
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
2018 XW2 is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2018 XW2 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 XW2 orbits the sun every 364 days (1.00 years), coming as close as 0.70 AU and reaching as far as 1.30 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2018 XW2 is probably between 0.021 to 0.047 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
Close Approaches
2018 XW2's orbit is 0.02 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.
2018 XW2 has 7 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Dec. 7, 2019 | 6,699,684 | 12.956 |
| Dec. 6, 2020 | 9,233,983 | 12.609 |
| Dec. 6, 2021 | 12,301,496 | 12.254 |
| Dec. 7, 2022 | 15,804,635 | 11.868 |
| Dec. 7, 2023 | 19,560,713 | 11.509 |
| Dec. 7, 2024 | 23,495,016 | 11.204 |
| Dec. 8, 2025 | 27,563,650 | 10.928 |
Images and Observations
2018 XW2's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Dec. 10, 2018. It was last officially observed on Dec. 14, 2018. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 42 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 XW2:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 0.9972 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.3018
- Inclination: 19.74°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 78.14°
- Argument of Periapsis: 249.81°
- Mean Anomaly: 354.93°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.027 km
- Magnitude: 25.5
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 364 days (1.00 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 29.80 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.30 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.70 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 2018 XW2 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 2018 XW2 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.
