2020 XR

Very small Apollo-class Asteroid

Near-Earth Potentially Hazardous
Space Reference » Apollo-class Asteroids » 2020 XR

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the U.S. Capitol building
  • Will pass within 2,209,352 km of Earth in 2024
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

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

2020 XR orbits the sun every 1,440 days (3.94 years), coming as close as 0.97 AU and reaching as far as 4.03 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2020 XR is probably between 0.278 to 0.622 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.

Close Approaches

2020 XR's orbit is 0.00 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that its orbit is relatively close to Earth's orbit.

2020 XR has 10 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Dec. 4, 2024 2,209,352 12.310
Nov. 7, 2028 18,160,016 11.723
Nov. 3, 2032 21,778,390 11.729
Oct. 23, 2036 29,675,640 12.833
Oct. 30, 2056 28,928,976 11.979
Nov. 13, 2060 15,887,163 10.756
Nov. 20, 2064 10,484,912 10.647
Dec. 2, 2068 11,990,556 11.489
Nov. 22, 2153 11,756,066 10.377
Dec. 14, 2157 28,560,711 13.869

Images and Observations

2020 XR's orbit is determined by observations dating back to March 3, 2013. It was last officially observed on Feb. 13, 2021. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 135 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 XR:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.497 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.6124
  • Inclination: 13.96°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 249.7°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 163.07°
  • Mean Anomaly: 251.67°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.359 km
  • Magnitude: 19.9

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,440 days (3.94 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 18.86 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 4.03 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.97 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 2020 XR 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 XR 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.