2021 TC4 is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2021 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.
2021 TC4 orbits the sun every 357 days (0.98 years), coming as close as 0.93 AU and reaching as far as 1.04 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2021 TC4 is probably between 0.009 to 0.038 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
2021 TC4'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.
2021 TC4 has 20 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 26, 2020 | 20,342,057 | 7.228 |
| Oct. 5, 2021 | 5,695,915 | 5.402 |
| April 24, 2022 | 16,562,169 | 5.684 |
| Oct. 22, 2022 | 16,377,363 | 5.441 |
| March 28, 2023 | 10,128,876 | 5.791 |
| March 3, 2024 | 22,102,779 | 7.195 |
| Sept. 26, 2063 | 22,228,433 | 7.490 |
| Oct. 3, 2064 | 6,305,340 | 5.494 |
| April 27, 2065 | 17,745,833 | 5.703 |
| Oct. 18, 2065 | 14,357,152 | 5.366 |
| March 30, 2066 | 9,732,909 | 5.723 |
| Nov. 20, 2066 | 28,734,069 | 5.875 |
| March 7, 2067 | 19,667,916 | 6.883 |
| Sept. 26, 2107 | 24,746,644 | 7.857 |
| Oct. 2, 2108 | 8,029,978 | 5.680 |
| April 5, 2110 | 9,980,669 | 5.669 |
| Nov. 9, 2110 | 25,699,600 | 5.918 |
| March 13, 2111 | 16,522,332 | 6.501 |
| Sept. 24, 2152 | 25,594,210 | 7.963 |
| Oct. 1, 2153 | 8,963,018 | 5.769 |
2021 TC4's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Oct. 4, 2021. It was last officially observed on Oct. 17, 2021. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 34 observations used to determine its orbit.
2021 TC4 can be reached with a journey of 362 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 6.308 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 272,571 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2021 TC4.
The position of 2021 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.