Discovered by Pan-STARRS F51 Minor planet category Apollo
NEO Discovered 4 October 2012 Inclination 0.85583° Asteroid group Apollo asteroid | Discovery date October 4, 2012 Orbital period 609 days Absolute magnitude 26.7 Discoverer Pan-STARRS | |
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Aphelion 1.87738 AU (280.852 Gm) Perihelion 0.93401 AU (139.726 Gm) Semi-major axis 1.40569 AU (210.288 Gm) Similar Pan-STARRS discoveries, Other celestial objects | ||
2012 TC4 is an Apollo near-Earth asteroid that will make a close approach to Earth early on October 12, 2017 between 0.00008818 and 0.002896 AU (0.034 to 1.127 LD, 13200–433200 km, 8200-269200 mi.)
Contents
The asteroid, however, only has an observation arc of 7 days, between October 4, 2012, and October 11, 2012, so the exact distance of its closest approach is uncertain. The asteroid has been known to make many close approaches to Earth in the past, including an approach of 0.000634 AU (0.247 LD, 94,800 km, 58,900 mi) on October 12, 2012, during which the asteroid was discovered.
Asteroid 2012 tc4 close approach 10 12 2012
Rotation
Studies of the asteroid's light curve found it to have a rotation period of approximately 12 minutes and 14 seconds, relatively slow for the asteroid's size (10-20 meter) as small asteroids have been found to rotate much faster; asteroid 2014 RC, a similarly-sized NEO, has a rotation period of only 16 seconds.
