Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Aten-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
  • Will pass within 12,467,315 km of Earth in 2022
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

2022 TW is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2022 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.

2022 TW orbits the sun every 348 days (0.95 years), coming as close as 0.85 AU and reaching as far as 1.08 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2022 TW is probably between 0.021 to 0.046 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.

Close Approaches

2022 TW's orbit is 0.08 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.

2022 TW has 3 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Oct. 3, 2022 12,467,315 9.656
March 26, 2023 21,475,176 11.254
Sept. 25, 2041 19,237,044 10.462

Images and Observations

2022 TW's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Oct. 2, 2022. It was last officially observed on Oct. 4, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 16 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 2022 TW:

References

Search

   or view a random object

Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 0.9674 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1188
  • Inclination: 18.74°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 190.09°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 11.48°
  • Mean Anomaly: 163.95°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.027 km
  • Magnitude: 25.56

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 348 days (0.95 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 30.24 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 1.08 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.85 AU

Map Comparison

Click to load map

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 2022 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.