Key Facts
- Categorized as a Amor-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to the U.S. Pentagon (1.35 km diameter)
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
Tara is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit approaches the orbit of Earth but does not cross it. NASA JPL has classified Tara as a "Near Earth Asteroid" due to its orbit's proximity to Earth, but it is not considered potentially hazardous because computer simulations have not indicated any imminent likelihood of future collision.
Tara orbits the sun every 1,210 days (3.31 years), coming as close as 1.10 AU and reaching as far as 3.35 AU from the sun. Tara is about 1.3 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the U.S. Pentagon.
The rotation of Tara has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 5.87 hours.
No Close Approaches
Tara's orbit is 0.24 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.
Orbital simulations conducted by NASA JPL's CNEOS do not show any close approaches to Earth.
Images and Observations
Tara's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Sept. 7, 1983. It was last officially observed on July 22, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,130 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 Tara:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 2.223 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.5055
- Inclination: 19.49°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 168.88°
- Argument of Periapsis: 115.54°
- Mean Anomaly: 47.91°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: 1.34500 km
- Magnitude: 15.85
- Albedo: 0.488
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 1,210 days (3.31 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 19.99 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 3.35 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 1.10 AU
- Rotation Period: 5.87 hours
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of Tara 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 Tara 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.
