Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge
  • Will pass within 10,190,511 km of Earth in 2097
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

53429 (1999 TF5) is a small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 1999 TF5 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

1999 TF5 orbits the sun every 1,050 days (2.87 years), coming as close as 0.73 AU and reaching as far as 3.32 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 1999 TF5 is probably between 0.433 to 0.968 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than ~97% of asteroids but small compared to large asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge.

Close Approaches

1999 TF5's orbit is 0.05 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.

1999 TF5 has 2 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
April 7, 2097 10,190,511 21.312
March 25, 2169 26,752,212 26.657

Images and Observations

1999 TF5's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Oct. 3, 1999. It was last officially observed on Oct. 29, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 148 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 TF5:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.023 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.6403
  • Inclination: 26.79°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 199.2°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 64.05°
  • Mean Anomaly: 144.43°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.559 km
  • Magnitude: 18.94

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,050 days (2.87 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 20.96 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.32 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.73 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 53429 (1999 TF5) 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 1999 TF5 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.