Key Facts
- Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a football field (0.26 km diameter)
- Will pass within 15,938,371 km of Earth in 2025
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
- See orbit simulation
Overview
433953 (1997 XR2) is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 1997 XR2 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.
1997 XR2 orbits the sun every 408 days (1.12 years), coming as close as 0.86 AU and reaching as far as 1.29 AU from the sun. 1997 XR2 is about 0.3 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, comparable in size to a football field.
The rotation of 1997 XR2 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 9.32 hours.
Close Approaches
1997 XR2'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.
1997 XR2 has 24 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| June 14, 2025 | 15,938,371 | 4.917 |
| Nov. 22, 2035 | 19,480,076 | 4.612 |
| June 2, 2044 | 4,001,925 | 6.529 |
| Nov. 18, 2054 | 10,004,037 | 5.802 |
| July 24, 2063 | 25,220,948 | 5.440 |
| May 26, 2072 | 14,690,155 | 9.755 |
| Nov. 21, 2073 | 12,020,030 | 9.125 |
| Sept. 13, 2082 | 27,527,513 | 5.456 |
| June 6, 2091 | 8,101,984 | 5.904 |
| May 24, 2100 | 24,947,256 | 11.655 |
| Nov. 20, 2101 | 5,869,562 | 7.677 |
| Oct. 17, 2110 | 23,366,521 | 4.387 |
| Nov. 29, 2110 | 22,982,513 | 4.600 |
| Aug. 5, 2119 | 26,709,288 | 5.597 |
| June 6, 2128 | 7,434,060 | 5.992 |
| May 30, 2137 | 7,491,797 | 8.470 |
| Nov. 25, 2138 | 22,482,145 | 11.188 |
| Nov. 19, 2147 | 6,327,796 | 6.573 |
| Sept. 4, 2156 | 28,094,582 | 5.620 |
| June 13, 2165 | 14,832,803 | 4.996 |
| May 28, 2174 | 12,740,906 | 9.418 |
| Nov. 24, 2175 | 16,411,950 | 10.022 |
| Nov. 18, 2184 | 15,434,675 | 4.981 |
| Aug. 7, 2193 | 27,099,922 | 5.643 |
Images and Observations
1997 XR2's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Dec. 4, 1997. It was last officially observed on Feb. 16, 2017. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 427 observations used to determine its orbit.
Accessibility and Exploration
1997 XR2 can be reached with a journey of 354 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 8.288 km/s. To put this into perspective, the delta-v to launch a rocket to Low-Earth Orbit is 9.7 km/s. There are 31,706 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 1997 XR2.
Similar Objects
These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 1997 XR2:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 1.076 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.2008
- Inclination: 7.19°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 250.66°
- Argument of Periapsis: 84.64°
- Mean Anomaly: 98.41°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: 0.25900 km
- Magnitude: 20.96
- Albedo: 0.115
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 408 days (1.12 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 28.69 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.29 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.86 AU
- Rotation Period: 9.32 hours
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 433953 (1997 XR2) 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 1997 XR2 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.
