Key Facts

Overview

20628 (1999 TS40) is a large asteroid that orbits between Mars and Jupiter in the outer reaches of the main asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified 1999 TS40 as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

1999 TS40 orbits the sun every 2,930 days (8.02 years), coming as close as 3.13 AU and reaching as far as 4.89 AU from the sun. 1999 TS40 is about 17.9 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the city of Philadelphia.

The rotation of 1999 TS40 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 68.10 hours.

No Close Approaches

1999 TS40's orbit is 2.15 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is an extremely wide berth between this asteroid and Earth at all times.

Orbital simulations conducted by NASA JPL's CNEOS do not show any close approaches to Earth.

Images and Observations

1999 TS40's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Sept. 17, 1991. It was last officially observed on June 23, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,681 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 1999 TS40:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 4.011 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.2203
  • Inclination: 6.54°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 146.55°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 277.38°
  • Mean Anomaly: 326.05°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 17.93600 km
  • Magnitude: 12.74
  • Albedo: 0.046

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 2,930 days (8.02 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 14.89 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 4.89 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 3.13 AU
  • Rotation Period: 68.10 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 20628 (1999 TS40) 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.