4179 Toutatis (/tuːˈtɑːtɨs/ too-TAH-tis) is an Apollo Alinda and Mars-crosser asteroid with a chaotic orbit produced by a 3:1 resonance with the planet Jupiter a 1:4 resonance with the planet Earth and frequent close approaches to the terrestrial planets including Earth. It is listed as a potentially hazardous object although the odds of a collision with Earth are minute.On December 12 2012 at 06:40 UT Toutatis passed within about 18 lunar distances of Earth.
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