10260 (1972 TC)

Mid-sized Main-belt Asteroid

Space Reference » Main-belt Asteroids » 10260 (1972 TC)

Key Facts

Overview

10260 (1972 TC) is a mid-sized asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter in the main portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified 1972 TC as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

1972 TC orbits the sun every 1,510 days (4.13 years), coming as close as 2.14 AU and reaching as far as 3.02 AU from the sun. 1972 TC is about 6.3 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

The rotation of 1972 TC has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 3.72 hours.

No Close Approaches

1972 TC's orbit is 1.15 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is an extremely 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

1972 TC's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Oct. 4, 1972. It was last officially observed on April 16, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,799 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 1972 TC:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.58 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1701
  • Inclination: 12.59°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 246.98°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 159.01°
  • Mean Anomaly: 79.42°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 6.34600 km
  • Magnitude: 13.23
  • Albedo: 0.303

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,510 days (4.13 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 18.59 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.02 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.14 AU
  • Rotation Period: 3.72 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 10260 (1972 TC) 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 1972 TC 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.