2012 TC4 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2012 TC4 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.
2012 TC4 orbits the sun every 753 days (2.06 years), coming as close as 0.97 AU and reaching as far as 2.27 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2012 TC4 is probably between 0.012 to 0.027 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
The rotation of 2012 TC4 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 0.20 hours.
2012 TC4's orbit is 0.00 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that its orbit is very close to Earth's orbit.
2012 TC4 has 2 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 19, 2050 | 1,793,933 | 6.164 |
| Nov. 21, 2079 | 2,525,947 | 6.022 |
2012 TC4's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Oct. 4, 2012. It was last officially observed on Dec. 14, 2017. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 805 observations used to determine its orbit.
The position of 2012 TC4 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.