Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to a football field
  • Will pass within 18,832,237 km of Earth in 2036
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

2005 TP is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2005 TP as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2005 TP orbits the sun every 1,260 days (3.45 years), coming as close as 0.94 AU and reaching as far as 3.62 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2005 TP is probably between 0.184 to 0.411 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a football field.

Close Approaches

2005 TP's orbit is 0.04 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.

2005 TP has 5 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Nov. 4, 2036 18,832,237 12.352
Nov. 14, 2067 12,695,000 10.893
Jan. 4, 2123 6,597,922 10.259
Nov. 29, 2153 8,426,716 9.931
Nov. 9, 2184 16,467,457 11.986

Images and Observations

2005 TP's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Oct. 2, 2005. It was last officially observed on July 22, 2012. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 66 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 2005 TP:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.279 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.5883
  • Inclination: 7.88°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 86.38°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 353.69°
  • Mean Anomaly: 59.46°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.237 km
  • Magnitude: 20.8

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,260 days (3.45 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 19.68 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.62 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.94 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 2005 TP 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 below comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of 2005 TP to create an approximate landscape rendering with New York City in the background. This approximation is built for full-resolution desktop browsers. Shape, color, and texture of asteroid are imagined.