Word info

Toutatis

Proper noun

Meaning

(Celtic mythology) A god worshipped in ancient Gaul and Britain.

(astronomy) 4179 Toutatis, a main belt asteroid.

Source: en.wiktionary.org

Examples

Close approaches and collision risk Toutatis makes frequent close approaches to Earth, with a currently minimum possible distance (Earth MOID ) of just 0.006 AU (2.3 times as far as the Moon ). Source: Internet

Giant basin The giant basin at the big end of Toutatis has a diameter of ~805 m, suggesting that one or more impactors may have collided with it there. Source: Internet

In 2006 Toutatis came closer than 2 AU to Jupiter. Source: Internet

Its rotation combines two separate periodic motions into a non-periodic result; to someone on the surface of Toutatis, the Sun would seem to rise and set in apparently random locations and at random times at the asteroid's horizon. Source: Internet

It was also observed with radar during the December 2012 flyby and potentially will be during the more distant flyby in 2016. citation After 2016, Toutatis will not pass close to Earth again until 2069. Source: Internet

On 13 December 2012, China's lunar orbiter Chang'e 2 flew within convert of the asteroid 4179 Toutatis on an extended mission. Source: Internet

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