7474 (1992 TC)

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Amor-class Asteroid
• Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge
• Will pass within 29,800,595 km of Earth in 2041
• Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
• Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
• See orbit simulation

Overview

7474 (1992 TC) is a small asteroid whose orbit approaches the orbit of Earth but does not cross it. NASA JPL has classified 1992 TC 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.

1992 TC orbits the sun every 716 days (1.96 years), coming as close as 1.11 AU and reaching as far as 2.02 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 1992 TC is probably between 0.635 to 1.419 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 1992 TC has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 5.54 hours.

1992 TC's spectral type None (Tholen) / X (SMASSII) indicates that it is likely to contain iron, nickel, and cobalt.

Close Approaches

1992 TC's orbit is 0.17 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.

1992 TC has 4 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Images and Observations

1992 TC's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Aug. 19, 1990. It was last officially observed on May 21, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 462 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 1992 TC:

• 3199 Nefertiti (1982 RA)
• 4957 Brucemurray (1990 XJ)
• 7480 Norwan (1994 PC)

References

• JPL Small Body Database
• Mission Design
• Sky Finder Chart

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 7474 (1992 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 1992 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.