Key Facts
- Categorized as a Aten-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a basketball court
- Will pass within 21,321,402 km of Earth in 2028
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
- See orbit simulation
Overview
2011 TX8 is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2011 TX8 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.
2011 TX8 orbits the sun every 317 days (0.87 years), coming as close as 0.27 AU and reaching as far as 1.55 AU from the sun. Its orbit is highly elliptical. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2011 TX8 is probably between 0.111 to 0.248 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a basketball court.
Close Approaches
2011 TX8's orbit is 0.01 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.
2011 TX8 has 28 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| July 28, 2028 | 21,321,402 | 24.905 |
| Oct. 12, 2031 | 12,804,432 | 24.539 |
| July 30, 2041 | 26,461,895 | 26.337 |
| Oct. 12, 2044 | 8,167,407 | 23.571 |
| July 30, 2054 | 26,097,740 | 26.220 |
| Oct. 12, 2057 | 9,626,946 | 23.864 |
| July 29, 2067 | 21,891,379 | 25.026 |
| Oct. 11, 2070 | 16,022,433 | 25.196 |
| July 27, 2080 | 17,972,853 | 23.655 |
| Oct. 10, 2083 | 21,358,546 | 26.340 |
| July 27, 2093 | 18,610,747 | 23.922 |
| Oct. 10, 2096 | 19,912,918 | 26.040 |
| July 28, 2106 | 17,027,199 | 23.112 |
| Oct. 10, 2109 | 25,930,793 | 27.309 |
| Oct. 18, 2115 | 26,959,114 | 17.331 |
| July 27, 2119 | 16,055,909 | 21.821 |
| Oct. 17, 2128 | 21,481,972 | 18.124 |
| July 26, 2132 | 16,878,459 | 20.951 |
| Oct. 18, 2141 | 18,464,948 | 18.590 |
| July 25, 2145 | 19,073,670 | 20.009 |
| Oct. 17, 2154 | 9,782,499 | 20.096 |
| July 25, 2158 | 23,786,829 | 18.716 |
| Oct. 17, 2167 | 4,925,819 | 21.040 |
| July 25, 2171 | 24,996,312 | 18.440 |
| Oct. 17, 2180 | 11,304,300 | 19.841 |
| July 25, 2184 | 20,425,437 | 19.581 |
| Oct. 18, 2193 | 20,812,881 | 18.225 |
| July 27, 2197 | 16,290,539 | 21.591 |
Images and Observations
2011 TX8's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Oct. 6, 2011. It was last officially observed on Aug. 28, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 63 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 2011 TX8:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 0.9095 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.7084
- Inclination: 5.98°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 207.85°
- Argument of Periapsis: 313.35°
- Mean Anomaly: 192.58°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.143 km
- Magnitude: 21.9
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 317 days (0.87 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 31.21 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.55 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.27 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 2011 TX8 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 2011 TX8 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.
