2020 XE1 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2020 XE1 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.
2020 XE1 orbits the sun every 736 days (2.02 years), coming as close as 0.98 AU and reaching as far as 2.21 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2020 XE1 is probably between 0.012 to 0.027 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
2020 XE1's orbit is 0.00 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that its orbit is very close to Earth's orbit.
2020 XE1 has 4 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Dec. 3, 2020 | 326,700 | 9.176 |
| Dec. 12, 2022 | 9,168,548 | 9.948 |
| Dec. 21, 2024 | 22,205,887 | 11.823 |
| Dec. 7, 2143 | 1,474,819 | 9.158 |
2020 XE1's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Dec. 5, 2020. It was last officially observed on Dec. 8, 2020. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 21 observations used to determine its orbit.
The position of 2020 XE1 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.