(35396) 1997 XF11

mp|(35396) 1997 XF|11 (also written (35396) 1997 XF11) is a near-Earth and Mars-crosser asteroid which, shortly after its discovery in December 1997, was predicted to make an exceptionally close approach to Earth in October 2028. Additional prediscovery observations of the asteroid were quickly found and the present orbit will take the asteroid past the Earth on October 26, 2028 at the relatively safe distance of 930,000 kilometers (580,000 miles), about 2.4 times the Earth-Moon distance.cite web
title=Sormano Astronomical Observatory: Table of Next Closest Approaches to the Earth by Asteroids
publisher=Astronomical Observatory of Brera
author=Piero Sicoli, Francesco Manca
url=http://www.brera.mi.astro.it/sormano/teca.html
accessdate=2008-02-04] cite web
title=NEODys (35396) 1997XF11
publisher=Department of Mathematics, University of Pisa, ITALY
url=http://newton.dm.unipi.it/cgi-bin/neodys/neoibo?objects:1997XF11;main
accessdate=2008-02-04]

What makes mp|(35396) 1997 XF|11 special is that it is estimated to be between 1.3 km and 2.8 km in diameter.cite web
title=35396 1997 XF11
publisher=The Near-Earth Asteroids Data Base at E.A.R.N
url=http://earn.dlr.de/nea/035396.htm
accessdate=2008-02-04]

This asteroid also comes near Pallas.

The asteroid was discovered on December 6, 1997 by James V. Scotti of the University of Arizona's Spacewatch Project.

References

External links

* [http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=35396;orb=1 Orbital simulation] from JPL (Java) / [http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/horizons.cgi?find_body=1&body_group=sb&sstr=35396 Horizons Ephemeris]
* [http://www.britastro.com/jbaa/archive/marsden.htm Brian Marsden: mp|1997 XF|11: the true story]
* [http://spacewatch.lpl.arizona.edu/1997XF11.html Spacewatch animation of 1997 XF₁₁]