2010 TD54

2010 TD54
Orbital diagram of 2010 TD54 during its near-Earth encounter on 12 Oct 2010
Discovery
Discovered byMount Lemmon Srvy.
Discovery siteMount Lemmon Obs.
Discovery date9 October 2010
Designations
NEO · Apollo
Orbital characteristics
Epoch 21 November 2025 (JD 2461000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 6
Observation arc3 days
Aphelion3.2371 AU
Perihelion0.7053 AU
1.9712 AU
Eccentricity0.6422
2.77 yr (1,011 days)
147.92°
0° 21m 21.96s / day
Inclination4.2945°
18.123°
76.641°
Earth MOID0.001444 AU
0.562 LD
Physical characteristics
Dimensions5 m
5–10 m
0.01167 h (dated)
0.0229317 h
0.20 (assumed)
Srv
28.9

2010 TD54 is a tiny asteroid and fast rotator, classified as a near-Earth object of the Apollo group, approximately 5 meters in diameter. It was first observed by the Mount Lemmon Survey in October 2010, when the asteroid crossed through the Earth-moon system and had a close encounter with Earth.

Orbit and classification

2010 TD54 orbits the Sun at a distance of 0.7–3.2 AU once every 2 years and 9 months (1,011 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.64 and an inclination of 4° with respect to the ecliptic.

The body's observation arc begins with its first observations by the Mount Lemmon Survey and only spans over a period of 3 days until 12 October 2010. It has been observed since then.

Close approach

2010 TD54 made its closest approach at 10:51, 12 October 2010 UTC (6:51 EDT a.m.) at 0.000346 AU (51,800 km; 32,200 mi). It is one of the closest known approaches of an asteroid to Earth, at which time the object appeared at a magnitude of 14. It was first observed by of the Catalina Sky Survey's telescopes north of Tucson, Arizona on 9 October 2010.

It has an Earth minimum orbit intersection distance of 0.00144418 AU (216,000 km; 134,000 mi), which corresponds to 0.562 lunar distance. It was removed from the Sentry Risk Table on 11 October 2010. The asteroid may have passed 0.0009 AU (135,000 km; 83,700 mi) from Earth in October 1979, but the nominal orbit suggests it passed millions of kilometres from Earth in 1979.

Physical characteristics

2010 TD54 is a stony asteroid, characterized as a Srv subtype.

Rotation period

In November 2010, a rotational light curve of 2010 TD54 was obtained from photometric observations, which showed that the asteroid is a fast rotator. Light curve analysis gave a well-defined rotation period of 0.0229317 hours (1 minute and 23 seconds) with a brightness amplitude of 0.92 magnitude (U=3). A high amplitude typically indicates that the body has an irregular, elongated rather than spherical shape. This result supersedes a previously obtained lightcurve with a shorter period of 0.01167 hours (U=1).

Diameter and albedo

The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for stony asteroids of 0.20 and calculates a diameter of 5 metres (16 feet) based on an absolute magnitude of 28.9. NASA's press release gave an estimated diameter of 5 to 10 meters (16 to 33 feet).

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 Ryan (2011) web: rotation period 0.0229317±0.0000002 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.92±0.03 mag. Summary figures for (2010 TD54) at the LCDB and Bill Ryan at Magdalena Ridge Observatory

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2010 TD54)" (2010-10-12 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  2. 1 2 "2010 TD54". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "MinorPlanet.info: One Asteroid Information". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Search using Name = "2010 TD54"
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Small Asteroid to Pass Within Earth-Moon System Tuesday". NASA. 11 October 2010. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  5. 1 2 Hicks, M.; Rhoades, H. (October 2010). "The near-Earth asteroid 2010 TD54: The fastest rotating natural body known in the solar system?". The Astronomer's Telegram (2984): 1. Bibcode:2010ATel.2984....1H. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  6. 1 2 Popescu, M.; Birlan, M.; Binzel, R.; Vernazza, P.; Barucci, A.; Nedelcu, D. A.; et al. (November 2011). "Spectral properties of eight near-Earth asteroids". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 535: 15. Bibcode:2011A&A...535A..15P. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201117118.
  7. ↑ "Sentry: Earth Impact Monitoring – Removed Objects". NASA/JPL CINEOS – Center for Near Earth Object Studies. Retrieved 28 September 2017.