In just three hours, an asteroid will pass Earth: here is what you need to know

This newly discovered asteroid, Asteroid 2026 JH2, is hurtling toward Earth and will pass it tonight at 24% of the average Earth-moon distance. The asteroid was discovered on May 10, 2026, by astronomers at the Mt. Lemmon Survey in Arizona, USA.

According to Mark Norris, a senior Astronomy lecturer at the University of Lancashire, while 2026 JH2 poses absolutely no impact risk to Earth, it is still classified as a potentially hazardous object because of its size and proximity.

The 2026 JH2 will make its closest approach at 5:23 p.m. (23:23 EAT). The Virtual Telescope Project will stream the pass by live starting at 19:45 UTC (22: 45 EAT).

“Encounters this close are genuinely rare. Only five known asteroids are expected to pass inside the Moon’s orbit over the next year, and just one is predicted to come even closer to Earth than this object.” – Mark Norris

Source: BBC Sky At Night Magazine, Space

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Tsiyon Hone

Tsiyon is a first-year physics major and aspiring astrophysicist on a mission to spark a global love for space through student engagement, public understanding, and, along the way, prove that physics is way cooler than your high school textbook made it seem. She is highly interested in the chaotic physics of stellar evolution and black holes.

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