Key Facts
- Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge
- Will pass within 6,156,731 km of Earth in 2020
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
- See orbit simulation
Overview
Tatsunokingo is a small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified Tatsunokingo as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.
Tatsunokingo orbits the sun every 844 days (2.31 years), coming as close as 0.91 AU and reaching as far as 2.58 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, Tatsunokingo is probably between 0.632 to 1.413 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.
The rotation of Tatsunokingo has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 17.71 hours.
Tatsunokingo's spectral type None (Tholen) / S (SMASSII) indicates that it is likely to contain and .
Close Approaches
Tatsunokingo's orbit is 0.04 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.
Tatsunokingo has 8 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| May 21, 2020 | 6,156,731 | 11.676 |
| May 31, 2050 | 16,216,989 | 13.670 |
| March 12, 2057 | 25,317,857 | 10.249 |
| April 6, 2087 | 21,028,666 | 10.035 |
| May 8, 2117 | 10,386,482 | 10.290 |
| May 28, 2147 | 9,497,447 | 12.296 |
| March 7, 2154 | 26,404,124 | 10.755 |
| April 5, 2184 | 21,090,997 | 10.081 |
Images and Observations
Tatsunokingo's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Jan. 16, 1997. It was last officially observed on Nov. 30, 2021. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 409 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 Tatsunokingo:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 1.747 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.4786
- Inclination: 10.99°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 50.14°
- Argument of Periapsis: 147.51°
- Mean Anomaly: 170.19°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.816 km
- Magnitude: 18.12
- Spectral type (SMASS): S
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 844 days (2.31 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 22.52 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 2.58 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.91 AU
- Rotation Period: 17.71 hours
- Approx. Composition: and .
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of Tatsunokingo 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 Tatsunokingo 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.
