Key Facts
- Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to the U.S. Pentagon
- Will pass within 13,132,439 km of Earth in 2037
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
Tjelvar is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified Tjelvar as a "Near Earth Asteroid" due to its orbit's proximity to Earth, but it is not considered potentially hazardous because computer simulations have not indicated any imminent likelihood of future collision.
Tjelvar orbits the sun every 509 days (1.39 years), coming as close as 0.24 AU and reaching as far as 2.26 AU from the sun. Its orbit is highly elliptical. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, Tjelvar is probably between 1.029 to 2.302 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the U.S. Pentagon.
The rotation of Tjelvar has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 9.01 hours.
Tjelvar's spectral type None (Tholen) / V (SMASSII) indicates that it is likely to contain and .
Close Approaches
Tjelvar's orbit is 0.07 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is a wide berth between this asteroid and Earth at all times.
Tjelvar has 10 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Nov. 14, 2037 | 13,132,439 | 30.889 |
| Nov. 8, 2044 | 19,020,171 | 26.068 |
| Nov. 16, 2083 | 17,874,011 | 32.239 |
| Nov. 10, 2090 | 13,385,406 | 27.380 |
| Nov. 20, 2129 | 28,819,308 | 34.824 |
| Nov. 14, 2136 | 10,013,395 | 29.922 |
| Nov. 10, 2143 | 21,301,287 | 25.552 |
| Nov. 21, 2182 | 27,372,577 | 34.531 |
| Nov. 15, 2189 | 9,638,687 | 29.945 |
| Nov. 9, 2196 | 20,355,246 | 25.683 |
Images and Observations
Tjelvar's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Nov. 15, 1998. It was last officially observed on Dec. 16, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,204 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 Tjelvar:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 1.248 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.8095
- Inclination: 14.91°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 64.28°
- Argument of Periapsis: 209.91°
- Mean Anomaly: 330.46°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~1.329 km
- Magnitude: 17.06
- Spectral type (SMASS): V
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 509 days (1.39 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 26.67 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 2.26 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.24 AU
- Rotation Period: 9.01 hours
- Approx. Composition: and .
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of Tjelvar 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 Tjelvar 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.
