12958 (2276 T-2)

Mid-sized Main-belt Asteroid

Space Reference » Main-belt Asteroids » 12958 (2276 T-2)

Key Facts

Overview

12958 (2276 T-2) is a mid-sized asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter in the main portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified 2276 T-2 as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

2276 T-2 orbits the sun every 1,560 days (4.27 years), coming as close as 2.46 AU and reaching as far as 2.81 AU from the sun. 2276 T-2 is about 2.5 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to Mount Everest.

The rotation of 2276 T-2 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 3.22 hours.

No Close Approaches

2276 T-2's orbit is 1.45 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

2276 T-2's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Sept. 20, 1973. It was last officially observed on June 10, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,892 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 2276 T-2:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.636 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.0657
  • Inclination: 2.38°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 29.87°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 247.52°
  • Mean Anomaly: 326.29°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 2.46600 km
  • Magnitude: 15.12
  • Albedo: 0.349

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,560 days (4.27 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 18.38 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.81 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.46 AU
  • Rotation Period: 3.22 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 12958 (2276 T-2) 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.

Size Rendering

The above comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of 2276 T-2 to create an approximate landscape rendering with Mount Everest in the background. This approximation is built for full-resolution desktop browsers. Shape, color, and texture of asteroid are imagined.