Newly Discovered Asteroid Will Make A Close Flyby Of Earth
The asteroid is between 50 and 100 feet across.
foxsportsradio.iheart.comHere’s the latest on asteroid 2026 JH2 and its Earth flyby.
Answer in brief
- 2026 JH2 is a small near-Earth asteroid that made a very close, but safe, pass by Earth on May 18, 2026. Reports estimate a closest approach around 90,000 to 92,000 km (roughly 0.23–0.24 lunar distances), with no impact risk.[1][3][4]
- Observations indicate it is an Apollo-class object, likely 16–36 meters in diameter, brightening to around magnitude 12.8, making it observable with modest backyard telescopes during the encounter window.[4][1]
- Live visualizations and updates were provided by observatories and livestreams (e.g., Virtual Telescope Project) to watch the flyby in real time.[10][1]
What to know by category
Close approach details
- Closest distance: estimates place JH2 passing roughly 90,000–92,000 km from Earth during the May 18 event, well inside the Moon’s orbit distance but still a safe margin for a small body.[3][1]
- Time of closest approach: reports vary slightly by source but center around May 18, 2026, in the late UTC hours; observers could track and image the object as it swept past.[3][10]
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Size and type: JH2 is described as a small Apollo-class near-Earth object, with size estimates broadly in the tens of meters (roughly 16–36 m range) depending on albedo assumptions and observations.[2][1]
Hazard assessment
- The consensus across multiple outlets is that JH2 posed no credible impact threat for this encounter or the next century; the object’s estimated size and trajectory keep it well below any hazard threshold.[9][2]
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Some sources categorize it as a non-hazardous, small asteroid suitable for radar or optical follow-up but not a planetary defense risk.[2]
Visibility and records
- Visual observing: with a sufficient telescope, observers could reach around magnitude 12.8 near the flyby window, making a challenging but feasible target for amateur astronomers depending on local conditions.[1][10]
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Livestreams and outreach: live broadcasts were planned from institutes like the Virtual Telescope Project and other observatories to share real-time views of the flyby.[10][1]
How it was discovered and tracked
- Discovery timeline: 2026 JH2 was identified just days before its encounter, by surveys such as Mount Lemmon in Arizona and subsequent tracking allowed a short-arc orbit determination; this is typical for small, fast-moving near-Earth objects.[1][3]
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Orbit confidence: early condition codes indicated some uncertainty due to a short observation window, but subsequent data supported a safe flyby with no impact risk; updates emphasized the importance of short-arc observations for such small bodies.[4][2]
Illustrative note
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If you missed the event, many outlets posted summaries and some included live simulations of the flyby to help visualize the trajectory relative to Earth and the Moon’s distance.
Citations
- Latest reports and flyby specifics: Ground News article on 2026 JH2’s close pass and magnitude estimates.[1]
- Scientific snapshots and closest approach metrics: Astrophyzix summary with nominal miss distance and condition codes.[2]
- News coverage with official timings and viewing options: NDTV’s coverage of the May 18 flyby and live viewing details.[3]
- Additional corroborating reports and details: Live Science overview of the event and viewing opportunities.[10]
If you’d like, I can pull a concise timeline (discovery to flyby) or generate a simple chart comparing distance vs. time using the data from these sources. I can also summarize local viewing conditions for Marseille to help you decide whether you could have observed it live.