Key Facts

Overview

Tuckia is a large asteroid that orbits between Mars and Jupiter in the outer reaches of the main asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified Tuckia as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

Tuckia orbits the sun every 2,900 days (7.94 years), coming as close as 3.10 AU and reaching as far as 4.86 AU from the sun. Tuckia is about 58.3 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the U.S. state of Rhode Island.

The rotation of Tuckia has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 68.98 hours.

No Close Approaches

Tuckia's orbit is 2.11 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is an extremely wide berth between this asteroid and Earth at all times.

Orbital simulations conducted by NASA JPL's CNEOS do not show any close approaches to Earth.

Images and Observations

Tuckia's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Nov. 24, 1924. It was last officially observed on July 5, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 4,314 observations used to determine its orbit.

Accessibility and Exploration

This asteroid is not considered a viable target for human exploration by the NHATS study.

Similar Objects

These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of Tuckia:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.98 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.2221
  • Inclination: 9.19°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 57.7°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 305.23°
  • Mean Anomaly: 253.39°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 58.30000 km
  • Magnitude: 10.68
  • Albedo: 0.0244
  • Spectral type (Tholen): DTU:

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 2,900 days (7.94 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 14.93 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 4.86 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 3.10 AU
  • Rotation Period: 68.98 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Tuckia is indicated by a ◯ pink circle. Note that the object may not be in your current field of view. Use the controls below to adjust position, location, and time.