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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <head> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" /> <title>2012 TC4 Observing Campaign</title> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/css-n-inc/styles.css" type="text/css" /> </head> <body> <div id="wrapper"> <div id="sitename"></div> <div id="header"><h1>The 2012 TC4 Observing Campaign</h1></div> <div id="body" class="clear">  <div id="sidebar" class="column-left"> <ul> <li><a href="/index.shtml" title="Top Level Home Page for the 2012 TC4 Observing Campaign"><strong>Campaign Home page</strong></a></li> <li><a href="/2012TC4_status.shtml" title="Current status of NEA 2012 TC4">Current Status</a></li> <li><a href="/2012TC4_2017.shtml" title="Details about the 2017 close approach of NEA 2012 TC4">2017 Apparition</a></li> <li><a href="/2012TC4_properties.shtml" title="Physical and chemical properties that are known about NEA 2012 TC4.">Physical Properties</a></li> <li><a href="/2012TC4_obs.shtml" title="Information about planned, scheduled and in-hand observations of NEA 2012 TC4">Observations</a></li> <li><a href="/2012TC4_orbit.shtml" title="Information about the current orbit of NEA 2012 TC4">Orbit</a></li> <li><a href="/2012TC4_geometry.shtml" title="Geometry and other information about observing conditions for NEA 2012 TC4">Observing Geometry</a></li> <li><a href="/2012TC4_history.shtml" title="History and interesting facts about NEA 2012 TC4">History</a></li> <li><a href="/2012TC4_media.shtml" title="Press releases and news related to NEA 2012 TC4">Media</a></li> <li><a href="/2012TC4_gallery.shtml" title="NEA 2012 TC4 gallery">Gallery</a></li> <li><a href="/project/" title="NEA 2012 TC4 project">Project</a></li> </ul> <hr /> <h4>Related Links</h4> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.nasa.gov/planetarydefense" title="">Planetary Defense Coordination Office</a></li> <li><a href="https://pdssbn.astro.umd.edu/" title="">NASA PDS: Small Bodies Node</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/" title="">Minor Planet Center (MPC)</a></li> <li><a href="http://iawn.net//" title="">International Asteroid Warning Network</a></li> <li><a href="https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/" title="">Center for Near Earth Object Studies</a></li> </ul> <hr /> <h4>Observing Campaigns</h4> <ul> <li><a href="http://wirtanen.astro.umd.edu/" title="UMD site that serves as a central clearinghouse for basic information regarding comet 46P/Wirtanen (WERE-tuh-nun) to encourage and facilitate the acquisition, analysis and interpretation of observations, and to promote collaborations between researchers.">The Comet Wirtanen Campaign</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.psi.edu/41P45P46P" title="Continuation of a campaign begun during ISON and is aimed at achieving science objectives facilitated by multi-longitudinal observations during the close approaches of comets 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresak (hereafter 41P/TGK) and 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdusakova (hereafter 45P/HMP) in 2017 and comet 46P/Wirtanen in 2018.">4*P Coma Morphology Campaign</a></li> <li><a href="http://aop.astro.umd.edu" title="UMD Program designed to inspire and educate amateur astronomers at all levels in observing celestial objects. Originally set up to encourage and collect amateur observations of NEA 9P/Tempel 1 in support of the Deep Impact mission, the AOP has since been used to support observations of a number of other high profile comets and asteroids. It is also a great site for beginners to learn about astrophotography, and more experienced observers to learn how to improve their skills.">Amateur Observers Program</a></li> </ul> <hr/> <ul style="margin:-1px 0 -3px 0; background-color:#1BDAEB"> <li><a href="/contact.shtml"title="Contact Us web form"><strong>Contact Us</strong></a></li> </ul> </div>  <div id="content" class="column-right">  <h2>Introduction</h2> <p>Welcome to the website for the 2012 TC4 Observing Campaign. Our intention is to provide a central clearinghouse for basic information about the near Earth asteroid 2012 TC4 and about the observations that will be obtained during its upcoming apparition.</p> <p>This site will contain background information about 2012 TC4, a list of observations that are planned/scheduled/obtained, and status reports on the events leading up to the close approach. We will also produce an email list where updates can be broadcast to subscribers.</p> <h3>What is special about 2012 TC4?</h3> <dl> <dt><strong>2012 TC4 is a near-Earth asteroid discovered in 2012</strong></dt> <dd>It has the potential to get very close to the Earth. There is significant interest in observing it this fall to improve its orbit so that future Earth encounters can be investigated.</dd> <dt><strong>2012 TC4 makes a very close approach to the Earth this fall</strong></dt> <dd>On 12 Oct 2017, it will pass within the orbit of the Moon, At closest approach, it will be ~50,000 km from Earth.</dd> <dt><strong>Observing conditions vary through the encounter</strong></dt> <dd>During its approach to the Earth, the observing conditions are good (near opposition for ~2 months, with Earth-facing surface mostly illuminated). After passing the Earth, however, it will be difficult to observe (small solar elongation, with most of the Earth-facing surface in shadow).</dd> </dl> <h3>NASA Bulletins</h3> <p><a href="/Bulletins/NASArecoveryExercise.pdf"><strong>2012 TC4 NASA Notification - Recovery - Exercise</strong></a></p> <p><a href="/Bulletins/NASAcloseapproach2WeekNoticeExercise.pdf"><strong>2012 TC4 NASA Notification - Close Approach in 2 Weeks - Exercise</strong></a></p> <div id="content" class="column-right"> <h3>Updates & News</h3> <p>2019.06.21: The <a href="/Lightcurve/supplement/2012TC4_Lightcurve_Observations_Summary.html">supplemental lightcurve data</a> from <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2019.02.018">Reddy et al., 2019</a> is available.</p> <p>2018.02.06: TC4 Campaign Results & NEOO Program Annual Review, 14-16 February 2018, Tucson, AZ.</p> <p>2017.10.16: <strong>New orbit solution precludes any Earth impact for the next 100 years.</strong> Orbit solution JPL#56, which included radar astrometry and close encounter optical data, has ruled out any impact with the Earth in the next 100 years. As of 16 Oct 2017, 2012 TC4 has been removed from the Sentry: Impact Monitoring List.</p> <p>2017.10.13: <strong>lots of updates!</strong> <a href="2012TC4_properties.shtml">Properties</a>, <a href="2012TC4_gallery.shtml">new images and movies</a>,...</p> <p>2017.10.11: <strong>Two movies showing 2012 TC4 moving across the sky have been obtained.</strong> In both movies, the asteroid can be seen getting brighter and fainter, exhibiting its rapid rotation rate.</p> <p>One was obtained by Ryou Ohsawa and collaborators at the Kiso observatory in Japan on Oct. 10 and 11, using a newly developed CMOS camera. It is available <a href=" http://www.mtk.ioa.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp/kisohp/NEWS/2012TC4/2012TC4eng.html"><strong>here</strong></a>. </p> <p>The other is seen here, or enlarged on the <a href="2012TC4_gallery.shtml">Gallery Page</a>.</p> <p class="caption"><a href="/gallery/2012 TC4.gif"><img src="/gallery/2012 TC4.gif" width="300" alt="Animated GIF of 2012 TC4 moving across the sky. " class="left" /> </a> <strong>Details:</strong> 2012 TC4 moving across the sky on Oct 11, 2017 <br /><br /><strong>Credit:</strong> Alberto Quijano Vodniza and Mario Rojas Pereira, University of Narino Observatory, Colombia </p> <br /><br /> </div> <br /> <p>2017.09.29: <strong>New orbit solution precludes an Earth impact in 2050.</strong> Solution JPL#46 has refined the orbit precisely enough to show that the asteroid's passage in October will miss the critical keyhole that would have altered its orbit into one that would impact the Earth in 2050. Potential impacts farther in the future have not been ruled out. See <a href="/2012TC4_orbit.shtml">Orbit</a> page for more details.</p> <p>2017.09.05: <strong>2012 TC4 recovery confirmed by Spacewatch on Aug 30-31!</strong> See <a href="/2012TC4_status.shtml">Current Status</a> page for details and further updates.</p> <p>2017.08.06: <strong>2012 recovered by VLT observers!</strong></p> <p class="caption"><a href="http://www.eso.org/public/images/ann17052a/"><img src="/gallery/ann17052a.jpg" width="300" alt="2012 TC4 observed Credit: ESO / ESA NEOCC / Olivier Hainaut (ESO), Marco Micheli (ESA) and Detlef Koschny (ESA)" class="left" /> <strong>Details:</strong> 2012 TC4 observed (annotated)</a> <br /><br /><strong>Credit:</strong> ESO / ESA NEOCC / Olivier Hainaut (ESO), Marco Micheli (ESA) and Detlef Koschny (ESA) <br /><br /><strong>Related releases:</strong> <br /><a href="http://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Images/2017/08/Asteroid_2012_TC4_will_fly_past_Earth_in_October_2017">ASTEROID 2012 TC4 WILL FLY PAST EARTH IN OCTOBER 2017</a></li> <br /><a href="http://www.eso.org/public/announcements/ann17052/">A Very Close Encounter</a></p>    </div> </div> </div> <div id="footer" class="clear">  <p class="left"><img src="/webdings/UM_primarysm.gif" width="185" height="32" alt="UMD Logo" /></p> <p class="right">webmaster: <script type="text/javascript" language="JavaScript"> document.write('<a h'+'ref="m'+'ailt'+'o:'+'%77%61%72%6e%65%72%65%6d%40%61%73%74%72%6f%2e%75%6d%64%2e%65%64%75">Elizabeth Warner<\/a>'); </script> <br />Sci Adv: <script type="text/javascript" language="JavaScript"> document.write('<a hre'+'f="ma'+'ilto'+':'+'%67%65%72%62%73%62%40%61%73%74%72%6f%2e%75%6d%64%2e%65%64%75">Dr. James "Gerbs" Bauer<\/a>'); </script> <br /><em><strong><a href="https://umd.edu/web-accessibility" onclick="this.target='_blank'">Web Accessibility</a></strong></em></p> <p class="right">Last updated: Friday June 21, 2019</p> </div> </div> </body> </html>