A newly discovered asteroid will pass within about 56,000 miles of Earth on Monday
Are you someone who has always been a keen observer of celestial events and a night sky gazer? Then you need to sit back and read on to know more about the rare asteroid .
All about the asteroid
According to a post on social media platform X and ABC News, it was mentioned that a newly discovered asteroid will pass within about 56,000 miles of Earth on Monday, significantly closer than the distance between Earth and the moon. While many people are worried about its proximity to Earth, there is no need to worry or cancel any plans. This is because the current calculations show no evidence that the object will hit Earth.
When was it identified
The asteroid was identified several days ago by astronomers at five observatories, including Farpoint Observatory in Wabaunsee County, Kansas, and Mount Lemmon Observatory in Arizona’s Santa Catalina Mountains. The NASA logo is displayed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory on October 15, 2025 in La Canada Flintridge, California.
The asteroid, designated 2026 JH2, is likely between 50 and 100 feet across, according to estimates from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. That estimate is based on how bright the object appears and how much light scientists think its surface reflects.
When will it happen?
Astronomers are still working to better understand the asteroid’s orbit and physical characteristics. So far, the object has been tracked only 24 times over several days. While its trajectory is still being refined, current calculations show no impact risk. "These asteroids have an orbit that is larger than Earth's orbit around the Sun and their path crosses Earth's orbit," according to NASA. The Virtual Telescope Project plans to stream the encounter live beginning at 5:45 p.m. on Monday.
All about the asteroid
According to a post on social media platform X and ABC News, it was mentioned that a newly discovered asteroid will pass within about 56,000 miles of Earth on Monday, significantly closer than the distance between Earth and the moon. While many people are worried about its proximity to Earth, there is no need to worry or cancel any plans. This is because the current calculations show no evidence that the object will hit Earth.
When was it identified
The asteroid was identified several days ago by astronomers at five observatories, including Farpoint Observatory in Wabaunsee County, Kansas, and Mount Lemmon Observatory in Arizona’s Santa Catalina Mountains. The NASA logo is displayed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory on October 15, 2025 in La Canada Flintridge, California.
The asteroid, designated 2026 JH2, is likely between 50 and 100 feet across, according to estimates from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. That estimate is based on how bright the object appears and how much light scientists think its surface reflects.
When will it happen?
Astronomers are still working to better understand the asteroid’s orbit and physical characteristics. So far, the object has been tracked only 24 times over several days. While its trajectory is still being refined, current calculations show no impact risk. "These asteroids have an orbit that is larger than Earth's orbit around the Sun and their path crosses Earth's orbit," according to NASA. The Virtual Telescope Project plans to stream the encounter live beginning at 5:45 p.m. on Monday.
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