28203 (1998 XL48)

Mid-sized Mars-crossing Asteroid

Space Reference » Mars-crossing Asteroids » 28203 (1998 XL48)

Key Facts

Overview

28203 (1998 XL48) is a mid-sized asteroid with an orbit that crosses the orbit of Mars. NASA JPL has not classified 1998 XL48 as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

1998 XL48 orbits the sun every 1,190 days (3.26 years), coming as close as 1.52 AU and reaching as far as 2.88 AU from the sun. 1998 XL48 is about 1.8 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to Mount Everest.

No Close Approaches

1998 XL48's orbit is 0.53 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is a very wide berth between this asteroid and Earth at all times.

Orbital simulations conducted by NASA JPL's CNEOS do not show any close approaches to Earth.

Images and Observations

1998 XL48's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Nov. 21, 1949. It was last officially observed on June 14, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,418 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 XL48:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.197 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.3087
  • Inclination: 3.71°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 43.39°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 0.85°
  • Mean Anomaly: 239.8°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 1.76100 km
  • Magnitude: 15.68
  • Albedo: 0.379

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,190 days (3.26 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 20.09 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.88 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.52 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 28203 (1998 XL48) 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 XL48 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.