All articles tagged with #near earth asteroid
A newly discovered near-Earth asteroid, 2026 JH2, estimated at 16–35 meters, will pass Earth on May 18 at about 91,000 km (roughly 0.23 lunar distances). The Virtual Telescope Project will stream the close approach live on YouTube starting at 3:45 p.m. EDT, weather permitting; the flyby poses no threat to Earth.
A 16–35 metre near-Earth asteroid named 2026 JH2 will pass about 90,000 km from Earth on May 18, 2026—roughly a quarter of the Earth–Moon distance— posing no danger and may be visible with a small telescope (mag ~11.5). It was discovered May 10 by the Mt. Lemmon Survey and will be tracked with a livestream by the Virtual Telescope project.
Astronomers have identified near-Earth asteroid 2026 JH2, which will make one of this year's closest flybys, passing within about 0.00058–0.00064 AU of Earth (roughly 90,000 km) after an initial Moon approach on May 18, 2026; there is no expected danger, it may be visible with modest amateur telescopes, and a livestream of observations is planned.
Earth’s giant near-Earth asteroid Apophis, about a quarter-mile long, will pass within about 20,000 miles of Earth on April 13, 2029—the closest approach of a large known asteroid—offering a rare chance to study its surface and motion as NASA and ESA prepare dedicated observations (OSIRIS-APEX and Ramses) while the initial risk of impact has been ruled out for at least a century.
NASA says Apophis, a roughly 1,100‑foot-wide near‑Earth asteroid nicknamed the 'god of chaos,' will pass about 20,000 miles from Earth on April 13, 2029—an exceptionally close flyby that offers a rare opportunity to study a space rock with modern technology. The agency notes no collision risk for at least 100 years, though Earth's gravity could cause minor surface movement, helping scientists learn about its composition. Observers in the Eastern Hemisphere may glimpse it if weather permits.
A 16-meter asteroid named 2026 GD will pass Earth tonight at about 0.65 lunar distances (roughly 156,000 miles) and then come within about 101,000 miles of the Moon later that evening, posing no threat to Earth or the Moon; it is on the ESA Risk List but carries an extremely small cumulative impact probability, and it won’t affect the Artemis 2 mission; the asteroid will continue on a long orbit with a next close approach expected around July 2031 near Venus.
NASA tracked a roughly 140-foot asteroid, 2007 EG, as it passed about 1.06 million miles (roughly 1.7 million kilometers) from Earth on March 15, 2026. There was no threat detected, and it was part of routine planetary-defense monitoring of thousands of near-Earth objects. The asteroid’s Aten-class orbit crosses Earth’s path, and future close approaches are predicted, including in 2028 and 2043, with ongoing observations to refine its trajectory. ISRO plans to participate more in international asteroid missions.
A newly discovered bus-sized asteroid named 2026 EG1, about 10–22 meters across, will pass within about 1 lunar distance of Earth late on March 12 (closest approach around 11:27 p.m. EDT / 0327 GMT March 13), traveling at roughly 21,513 mph. Discovered March 8, it poses no threat; NASA tracks thousands of near-Earth objects and continues defense planning with help from observatories like Vera Rubin.
A rare astronomical event will occur on November 30, when the near-Earth asteroid Eros passes close to the Andromeda Galaxy, with a live stream featuring expert commentary and views from telescopes, offering a unique opportunity to observe both celestial objects in the night sky.
China is launching the Tianwen-2 mission to collect samples from the near-Earth asteroid Kamo'oalewa, aiming to analyze its origins and contribute to planetary defense, with plans to return samples to Earth in 2027 and explore a comet around 2035.
Astronomers discovered asteroid 2024 BJ earlier this month, and it will pass between Earth and the moon on January 27. The 121-foot-wide space rock will fly by Earth at a distance closer than the moon, reaching its closest point at 12:30 p.m. EST. The Virtual Telescope Project will livestream the event, and the asteroid is not considered hazardous. Scientists have plans in place to deal with potential Earth-threatening asteroids, but such a scenario is not expected in the next 1,000 years.
The near-Earth asteroid 2024 BJ will have a close encounter with Earth on January 27, 2024, coming within 354,000 km, about 92% of the average lunar distance. An image of the asteroid was captured using the Virtual Telescope Project's robotic unit, showing it as a sharp dot of light with stars leaving streaks in the background. Discovered on January 17, 2024, the 16m-37m asteroid poses no risk to our planet, and its closest approach will occur at 17:30 UTC.
Scientists discovered a small asteroid, named 2024 BXI, just three hours before it exploded over Berlin, producing a bright fireball visible for miles. This rare detection marks the eighth time researchers have spotted an asteroid before impact. The 3.3-foot-wide asteroid likely disintegrated 30 miles west of Berlin, possibly dropping meteorites along the way. With 99% of near-Earth asteroids smaller than 98 feet still undiscovered, government space agencies are developing new technologies to scan the skies for potential impacts, including NASA's NEO Surveyor satellite and ESA's NEOMIR.
NASA has announced that the asteroid 2023 WZ3 will pass by Earth today at a distance of approximately 6.1 million kilometers, traveling at a speed of about 14352 kilometers per hour. Despite being almost as big as an aircraft, the asteroid is not considered a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid. It belongs to the Apollo group of Near-Earth Asteroids and has passed Earth before, with its next close encounter expected in 2036. NASA's advanced space telescopes and observatories have been instrumental in studying and tracking such celestial objects.
Comet 12/P Pons-Brooks, also known as the "devil comet," is set to make its first pass over Earth since 1954. Visible with the naked eye in April 2024 and again in June, the comet is classified as a Near Earth Asteroid by NASA but is not considered potentially hazardous. Coinciding with a total solar eclipse in April, the comet's near-earth approach could provide a unique experience in Indiana. The comet, twice the size of Mount Everest, orbits the sun every 71 years, with its peak brilliance predicted for June 2, 2024. Best viewed away from city lights, the comet may be visible with binoculars or a small telescope, weather permitting.