 | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Catalina Sky Survey |
| Discovery date | 12 October 2015 |
| Designations | |
| 2015 TC25 | |
| Apollo | |
| Orbital characteristics[1] | |
| EpochJD 2457607.5 (2016 August 7) | |
| Aphelion | 1.1504AU |
| Perihelion | 0.9081 AU |
| 1.0292 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.1177 |
| 1.04 yr | |
| 214.2377° | |
| 0° 56m 38.04s / day | |
| Inclination | 3.6383° |
| 19.6544 | |
| 80.5784° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| 2 meters (6.6 ft)[2] | |
| 0.03715 h (2.229 min)[1] | |
| E[2] | |
| 29.5 | |
2015 TC25 is anear-Earth asteroid, and at only 1.8 meters (6 feet) across and absolute magnitude 29.34 mag, it is thought to be the third smallestasteroid observed over multiple years, after2021 GM1 with absolute magnitude 30.4 and2006 RH120 with absolute magnitude 29.5. The asteroid is notable for reflecting about 60% of the light that hits it, making it one of the brightest near-Earth asteroids ever seen.[3]
Discovered by theCatalina Sky Survey on 12 October 2015, it was observed with several ground-based telescopes.[2]Radar observations were also made using theArecibo Observatory as it passed 128,000 kilometers (80,000 miles) from the Earth.[3] Observations suggest its surface composition is similar toAubrite meteorites, a rare class of high-albedodifferentiated meteorites.[2]
The albedo and radarpolarization ratio suggest2015 TC25 belongs to theE-type asteroids, and comparison of itsspectral anddynamical properties suggest it may have broke off of the 70-kilometer diameter E-type asteroid44 Nysa.[2]2015 TC25 is also notable for its rather shortrotation period of only about 2 minutes, which, combined with its lowsurface gravity makes it very difficult for2015 TC25 to retain aregolith layer. Its surface therefore most likely resembles a bare rock.[2]