0 2 0 , ▁the ▁car ▁will ▁make ▁its ▁closest ▁approach ▁to ▁Mars , ▁about ▁ ▁away , ▁well ▁outside ▁the ▁planet ' s ▁gravit ational ▁sphere ▁of ▁influence . ▁ ▁The ▁Virtual ▁T eles cope ▁Project ▁observed ▁the ▁T es la ▁two ▁days ▁after ▁its ▁launch , ▁where ▁it ▁had ▁a ▁magnitude ▁of ▁ 1 5 . 5 , ▁compar able ▁to ▁Pl uto ' s ▁moon ▁Char on . ▁The ▁Road ster ▁was ▁automatically ▁sp otted ▁and ▁logged ▁by ▁the ▁Ast ero id ▁Terr est rial - imp act ▁Last ▁Alert ▁System ▁( AT L AS ) ▁teles cope ▁operated ▁by ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Hawai i . ▁The ▁car ▁was ▁observed ▁by ▁the ▁De imos ▁Sky ▁Survey ▁( De SS ) ▁at ▁a ▁distance ▁of ▁ ▁with ▁a ▁flash ing ▁effect ▁suggesting ▁spin ning . ▁ ▁Through ▁meas uring ▁changes ▁in ▁apparent ▁bright ness ▁of ▁the ▁object , ▁astronom ers ▁have ▁determined ▁that ▁the ▁Road ster ▁is ▁rot ating ▁with ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁ 4 . 7 5 8 9 ▁ ± ▁ 0 . 0 0 6 0 ▁minutes ▁( i . e . ▁ 4 ▁minutes , ▁ 4 6 ▁seconds ). ▁By ▁February ▁ 1 1 , ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁ast rom etry ▁measurements ▁from ▁ 2 4 1 ▁independent ▁observations ▁had ▁been ▁coll ated , ▁ref ining ▁the ▁positions ▁to ▁within ▁one - t enth ▁of ▁an ▁arc second ▁and ▁published ▁by ▁the ▁See S at - L ▁ma iling ▁list , ▁a ▁group