7748 (1987 TA)

Mid-sized Main-belt Asteroid

Space Reference » Main-belt Asteroids » 7748 (1987 TA)

Key Facts

Overview

7748 (1987 TA) is a mid-sized asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter in the main portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified 1987 TA as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

1987 TA orbits the sun every 1,280 days (3.50 years), coming as close as 1.75 AU and reaching as far as 2.87 AU from the sun. 1987 TA is about 4.1 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the island of Manhattan.

The rotation of 1987 TA has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 4.22 hours.

No Close Approaches

1987 TA's orbit is 0.75 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is a very 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

1987 TA's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Oct. 14, 1980. It was last officially observed on March 11, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,121 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 1987 TA:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.313 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.2419
  • Inclination: 4.54°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 340.46°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 17.98°
  • Mean Anomaly: 89.6°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 4.13800 km
  • Magnitude: 14.08
  • Albedo: 0.259

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,280 days (3.50 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 19.66 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.87 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.75 AU
  • Rotation Period: 4.22 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 7748 (1987 TA) 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 1987 TA 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.