26310 (1998 TX6)

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Amor-class Asteroid
• Comparable in size to the U.S. Capitol building
• Will pass within 25,112,537 km of Earth in 2048
• Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
• Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
• See orbit simulation

Overview

26310 (1998 TX6) is a very small asteroid whose orbit approaches the orbit of Earth but does not cross it. NASA JPL has classified 1998 TX6 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.

1998 TX6 orbits the sun every 1,140 days (3.12 years), coming as close as 1.14 AU and reaching as far as 3.14 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 1998 TX6 is probably between 0.359 to 0.802 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 90% of asteroids but tiny compared to large asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the U.S. Capitol building.

Close Approaches

1998 TX6's orbit is 0.16 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.

1998 TX6 has 4 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Images and Observations

1998 TX6's orbit is determined by observations dating back to July 8, 1951. It was last officially observed on July 30, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 189 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 1998 TX6:

• 1917 Cuyo (1968 AA)
• 2552 Remek (1978 SP)
• 3270 Dudley (1982 DA)

References

• JPL Small Body Database
• Mission Design
• Sky Finder Chart

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 26310 (1998 TX6) 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 1998 TX6 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.