Key Facts
- Categorized as a Aten-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
- Will pass within 14,765,754 km of Earth in 2021
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
2021 TM2 is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2021 TM2 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 TM2 orbits the sun every 301 days (0.82 years), coming as close as 0.60 AU and reaching as far as 1.16 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2021 TM2 is probably between 0.037 to 0.082 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
Close Approaches
2021 TM2's orbit is 0.06 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 TM2 has 13 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 22, 2021 | 14,765,754 | 8.648 |
| Nov. 6, 2026 | 29,768,442 | 8.342 |
| Sept. 14, 2035 | 12,471,045 | 11.225 |
| Sept. 15, 2049 | 28,515,156 | 14.830 |
| Sept. 14, 2068 | 11,176,058 | 10.845 |
| Sept. 15, 2082 | 28,650,269 | 14.869 |
| Sept. 15, 2101 | 10,929,907 | 10.794 |
| Sept. 15, 2134 | 12,391,804 | 11.260 |
| Sept. 21, 2153 | 12,151,495 | 8.936 |
| Sept. 15, 2167 | 14,483,856 | 11.819 |
| Oct. 8, 2172 | 22,953,518 | 8.419 |
| Sept. 19, 2186 | 10,569,647 | 9.220 |
| Oct. 31, 2191 | 29,194,185 | 8.398 |
Images and Observations
2021 TM2's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Sept. 27, 2021. It was last officially observed on Oct. 6, 2021. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 22 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 2021 TM2:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 0.8796 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.3137
- Inclination: 11.38°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 8.07°
- Argument of Periapsis: 205.11°
- Mean Anomaly: 266.77°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.047 km
- Magnitude: 24.3
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 301 days (0.82 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 31.79 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.16 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.60 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 2021 TM2 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 2021 TM2 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.
