Key Facts
- Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay (5.40 km diameter)
- Will pass within 2,969,363 km of Earth in 2069
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
- See orbit simulation
Overview
Toutatis is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified Toutatis as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.
Toutatis orbits the sun every 1,480 days (4.05 years), coming as close as 0.95 AU and reaching as far as 4.13 AU from the sun. Toutatis is about 5.4 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.
The rotation of Toutatis has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 176.00 hours.
Toutatis's spectral type None (Tholen) / Sk (SMASSII) indicates that it is likely to contain and .
Close Approaches
Toutatis's orbit is 0.01 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that its orbit is relatively close to Earth's orbit.
Toutatis has 1 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Nov. 5, 2069 | 2,969,363 | 8.406 |
Images and Observations
Toutatis's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Feb. 10, 1934. It was last officially observed on June 15, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 6,656 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 Toutatis:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 2.544 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.6247
- Inclination: 0.45°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 125.34°
- Argument of Periapsis: 277.87°
- Mean Anomaly: 242.54°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: 5.40000 km
- Magnitude: 15.31
- Albedo: 0.405
- Spectral type (SMASS): Sk
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 1,480 days (4.05 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 18.70 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 4.13 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.95 AU
- Rotation Period: 176.00 hours
- Approx. Composition: and .
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of Toutatis 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 Toutatis 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.
