Key Facts

Overview

16553 (1991 TL14) is a mid-sized asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter in the main portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified 1991 TL14 as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

1991 TL14 orbits the sun every 1,230 days (3.37 years), coming as close as 1.91 AU and reaching as far as 2.59 AU from the sun. 1991 TL14 is about 2.3 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to Mount Everest.

No Close Approaches

1991 TL14's orbit is 0.90 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is a very 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

1991 TL14's orbit is determined by observations dating back to July 10, 1977. It was last officially observed on Jan. 14, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,801 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 1991 TL14:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.247 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1509
  • Inclination: 6.4°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 28.77°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 248.42°
  • Mean Anomaly: 245.92°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 2.26400 km
  • Magnitude: 15.22
  • Albedo: 0.314

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,230 days (3.37 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 19.87 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.59 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.91 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 16553 (1991 TL14) 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 1991 TL14 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.