(40227) Tahiti Outer Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 20 September 1998 by E. W. Elst at La Silla.
Tahiti, the largest island in French Polynesia, was discovered by Samuel Wallis in 1767. Bougainville visited the island in 1768 and was impressed by the kindness and way of life of the natives. Astronomer Charles Green joined Captain Cook's expedition and successfully observed the transit of Venus there in 1769.Naming citation (20060809/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Tahiti is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Tahiti is 4.53 au from the Sun and 5.51 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 40227 |
| Provisional designation | 1998 SR145 |
| Orbit class | Outer Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 12.97 |
| Orbital period | 7.84 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.95 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.99 – 4.90 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.242 |
| Inclination | 10.3° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 2.00 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also discovered on 20 September 1998
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