Tomfrench

20010 Tomfrench (1991 PN2)

Space Reference » Main-belt Asteroids » Tomfrench

Key Facts

Overview

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

Tomfrench orbits the sun every 1,410 days (3.86 years), coming as close as 2.03 AU and reaching as far as 2.90 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, Tomfrench is probably between 2.315 to 5.177 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the island of Manhattan.

No Close Approaches

Tomfrench's orbit is 1.02 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

Tomfrench's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Aug. 2, 1991. It was last officially observed on Nov. 24, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,589 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 Tomfrench:

References

Search

   or view a random object

Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.467 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1767
  • Inclination: 4.15°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 99.45°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 200.09°
  • Mean Anomaly: 110.07°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~2.989 km
  • Magnitude: 15.3

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,410 days (3.86 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 19.03 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.90 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.03 AU

Map Comparison

Click to load map

Orbit Simulation

⧉

Sky Map

The position of Tomfrench 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 Tomfrench 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.