2010 XC₁₅

2010 XC₁₅ (also written 2010 XC15) is an Aten near-Earth asteroid and potentially hazardous object that spends most of its time inside of the orbit of Earth.^[2] It has an observation arc of 10 years and an Uncertainty Parameter of 1.^[2] It was discovered on 5 December 2010 by the Catalina Sky Survey at an apparent magnitude of 17.5 using a 0.68-metre (27 in) Schmidt.^[1]

Based on an absolute magnitude of 21.4,^[2] the asteroid has an estimated diameter of about 200 metres (660 ft).^[3] 2010 XC₁₅ is noted for a close approach to Earth on 27 December 1976 at a distance of about 0.00625 AU (935,000 km; 581,000 mi).^[4][5] In November 2011 with an observation arc of 40 days, the JPL Small-Body Database showed that the uncertainty region of the asteroid during the 1976 close approach could result in a pass anywhere from 0.001 AU to 0.018 AU from Earth.^[4] During the 1976 close approach the asteroid reached about apparent magnitude 14.^[6]

The asteroid will pass 0.00516 AU (772,000 km; 480,000 mi) from Earth on 27 December 2022,^[4][5] allowing a refinement to the known trajectory. The uncertainty region in 2013 suggested that the asteroid could have passed inside the orbit of the Moon in 1907, but is now known to have passed about 0.01 AU (1,500,000 km; 930,000 mi) from Earth in 1907.^[4]

The asteroid 2002 JE9, with a much larger observation arc, is known to have passed 0.0015 AU (220,000 km; 140,000 mi) from Earth on 11 April 1971.

• 2010 XC15 at NeoDyS-2, Near Earth Objects—Dynamic Site
  • Ephemerides · Observation prediction · Orbital info · MOID · Proper elements · Observational info · Close approaches · Physical info · Orbit animation
• 2010 XC15 at ESA–space situational awareness
  • Ephemerides · Observations · Orbit · Physical properties · Summary
• 2010 XC15 at the JPL Small-Body Database
  • Close approach · Discovery · Ephemeris · Orbit viewer · Orbit parameters · Physical parameters