2012 XE₁₃₃ is an asteroid, classified as near-Earth object of the Aten group that is a temporary co-orbital of Venus.^[4]

Discovery, orbit and physical properties

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]}

Quasi-satellite dynamical state and orbital evolution

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]

Potentially hazardous asteroid

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]}