12971 (4054 T-3) is a mid-sized asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter in the main portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified 4054 T-3 as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.
4054 T-3 orbits the sun every 1,980 days (5.42 years), coming as close as 2.76 AU and reaching as far as 3.40 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 4054 T-3 is probably between 5.452 to 12.191 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.
The rotation of 4054 T-3 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 5.37 hours.
4054 T-3's orbit is 1.77 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.
4054 T-3's orbit is determined by observations dating back to March 11, 1964. It was last officially observed on May 7, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,592 observations used to determine its orbit.
The position of 12971 (4054 T-3) 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.