2012 TC4
Radar movie of 2012 TC4 | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Pan-STARRS 1 |
| Discovery site | Haleakala Obs. |
| Discovery date | 4 October 2012 |
| Designations | |
| 2012 TC4 | |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch 1 October 2017 (JD 2458027.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 1 | |
| Observation arc | 5.19 yr (1,897 d) |
| Aphelion | 1.8786 AU |
| Perihelion | 0.9335 AU |
| 1.4061 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.3361 |
| 1.67 yr (609 d) | |
| 332.79° | |
| 0° 35m 27.96s / day | |
| Inclination | 0.8572° |
| 198.23° | |
| 222.58° | |
| Earth MOID | 0.000149 AU (0.0580 LD) |
| Mars MOID | 0.03 AU |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 15 m × 8 m |
| 7–13 m 15 m | |
| |
| 12.9–31 | |
| |
2012 TC4 is a tumbling micro-asteroid classified as a bright near-Earth object of the Apollo group, approximately 10 meters (30 feet) in diameter. It was first observed by Pan-STARRS at Haleakala Observatory on the Hawaiian island of Maui, in the United States. As of 1 October 2017, it had a small Earth minimum orbital intersection distance of 0.000149 AU (22,300 km). On 12 October 2017, it passed Earth at 0.00033524 AU (50,151 km). The asteroid was removed from the Sentry Risk Table on 16 October 2017 and with a 5-year observation arc has a well-known orbit. For example, on the previously risk-listed date of 12 October 2022, it is now known that the asteroid will be more than 3 AU (450 million km) from Earth.