Discovery | |
---|---|
Discovered by | Catalina Sky Survey |
Discovery date | 12 December 2012 |
Designations | |
2012 XE133 | |
Orbital characteristics[2] | |
Epoch 13 January 2016 (JD 2457400.5) | |
Uncertainty parameter 6 | |
Aphelion | 1.0360 AU (154.98 Gm) |
Perihelion | 0.40995 AU (61.328 Gm) |
0.72300 AU (108.159 Gm) | |
Eccentricity | 0.43299 |
0.61 yr (224.5 d) | |
194.21° | |
1.6032°/day | |
Inclination | 6.7094° |
281.088° | |
337.096° | |
Earth MOID | 0.00246932 AU (369,405 km) |
Physical characteristics | |
Dimensions | 72 m[a][3] |
23.4[2] | |
2012 XE133 is an asteroid, classified as near-Earth object of the Aten group that is a temporary co-orbital of Venus.[4]
2012 XE133 was first observed on 12 December 2012 by J. A. Johnson working for the Catalina Sky Survey. As of March 2013, it has been observed 102 times with a data-arc span of 28 days. It is an Aten asteroid and its semi-major axis of 0.72 AU is very similar to that of Venus but its eccentricity is rather large (0.4332) and its inclination of 6.7° is also significant. With an absolute magnitude of 23.4, it has a diameter of approximately 62 to 138 meters. On 26 November 2020 it has been recovered and has now a well established orbit with an uncertainty parameter of 3.[citation needed]
2012 XE133 has been identified as a Venus co-orbital following a transitional path between Venus's Lagrangian points L5 point and L3 point.[4] Besides being a Venus co-orbital, this asteroid is also a Mercury grazer and an Earth crosser. 2012 XE133 exhibits resonant (or near-resonant) behavior with Mercury, Venus and the Earth.[4] Its short-term dynamical evolution is similar to that of two other Venus co-orbitals, 2001 CK32 and Zoozve.[4]
2012 XE133 was included in the Minor Planet Center list of Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs) because it comes to within 0.05 AU of Earth periodically,[citation needed] but it has since been removed. It will approach Earth at 0.0055 AU (and the Moon at 0.0045 AU) on 30 December 2028.[citation needed]