408752 (1991 TB2)

Mid-sized Apollo-class Asteroid

Near-Earth
Space Reference » Apollo-class Asteroids » 408752 (1991 TB2)

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the U.S. Pentagon
  • Will pass within 28,825,835 km of Earth in 2021
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

408752 (1991 TB2) is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 1991 TB2 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.

1991 TB2 orbits the sun every 1,070 days (2.93 years), coming as close as 0.43 AU and reaching as far as 3.67 AU from the sun. Its orbit is highly elliptical. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 1991 TB2 is probably between 0.947 to 2.119 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the U.S. Pentagon.

Close Approaches

1991 TB2's orbit is 0.11 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.

1991 TB2 has 16 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
May 12, 2021 28,825,835 21.130
Oct. 23, 2032 26,605,713 22.339
Oct. 16, 2076 21,455,809 26.924
May 28, 2115 29,238,575 29.944
May 18, 2118 16,224,129 24.307
Nov. 1, 2159 25,891,364 20.886
Oct. 29, 2162 20,977,350 22.554
Oct. 27, 2165 19,147,130 23.300
Oct. 27, 2168 18,991,085 23.465
Oct. 27, 2171 18,741,926 23.631
Oct. 26, 2174 18,455,347 24.079
Oct. 26, 2177 18,316,656 23.939
Oct. 28, 2180 19,149,953 23.147
Oct. 30, 2183 20,470,259 22.425
Oct. 31, 2186 21,996,676 21.878
Nov. 1, 2189 24,422,547 20.977

Images and Observations

1991 TB2's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Sept. 15, 1991. It was last officially observed on July 25, 2021. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,547 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 1991 TB2:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.046 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.7922
  • Inclination: 7.93°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 291.89°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 199.4°
  • Mean Anomaly: 303.46°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~1.223 km
  • Magnitude: 17.24

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,070 days (2.93 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 20.80 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.67 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.43 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 408752 (1991 TB2) 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 above comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of 1991 TB2 to create an approximate landscape rendering with Mount Everest in the background. This approximation is built for full-resolution desktop browsers. Shape, color, and texture of asteroid are imagined.