Key Facts
- Categorized as a Amor-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
- Will pass within 6,928,093 km of Earth in 2038
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
2014 TW is a very small asteroid whose orbit approaches the orbit of Earth but does not cross it. NASA JPL has classified 2014 TW 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.
2014 TW orbits the sun every 381 days (1.04 years), coming as close as 1.02 AU and reaching as far as 1.04 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2014 TW is probably between 0.011 to 0.048 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
Close Approaches
2014 TW's orbit is 0.02 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.
2014 TW has 12 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| April 2, 2038 | 6,928,093 | 4.991 |
| Oct. 2, 2038 | 5,113,103 | 4.737 |
| Oct. 21, 2062 | 23,745,164 | 5.773 |
| March 31, 2063 | 5,640,005 | 4.704 |
| Sept. 24, 2063 | 14,234,424 | 5.463 |
| April 1, 2086 | 3,872,597 | 4.784 |
| Sept. 29, 2086 | 7,195,948 | 4.896 |
| April 8, 2109 | 28,209,234 | 7.445 |
| Oct. 16, 2109 | 19,226,912 | 5.366 |
| March 29, 2110 | 11,853,181 | 4.934 |
| Sept. 23, 2110 | 20,038,218 | 6.157 |
| March 30, 2133 | 6,486,459 | 4.710 |
Images and Observations
2014 TW's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Oct. 2, 2014. It was last officially observed on Oct. 31, 2014. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 51 observations used to determine its orbit.
Accessibility and Exploration
2014 TW can be reached with a journey of 370 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 5.179 km/s. To put this into perspective, the delta-v to launch a rocket to Low-Earth Orbit is 9.7 km/s. There are 293,367 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2014 TW.
Similar Objects
These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 2014 TW:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 1.029 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.0087
- Inclination: 9.01°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 10.77°
- Argument of Periapsis: 190.68°
- Mean Anomaly: 13.12°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.030 km
- Magnitude: 26.06
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 381 days (1.04 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 29.38 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.04 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 1.02 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 2014 TW 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 2014 TW 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.
