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One asteroid About the size of a small building, which flew past Earth unnoticed by astronomers last week, coming as close to the earth’s surface In form of International Space StationAccording to the European Space Agency.
The space rock, called 2025 TF, was spotted hours after a NASA-funded liftoff from Antarctica Catalina Sky SurveyWhich uses telescopes in Arizona and Australia to observe near-Earth objects.
European astronomers then observed it using Las Cumbres Observatory Binoculars in Siding Spring, Australia.
Astronomers estimate that the asteroid came as close as 428 km (265 miles) to Earth’s surface.
“This is the same altitude as the orbit of the International Space Station, and one of the closest approaches ever recorded.” ESA Said in a statement.
most of satellites Revolve around the planet in low-Earth orbits between 160 km (100 mi) and 2,000 km (1,243 mi).
ESA said the asteroid measured between one and three metres.
“Tracking a metre-scale object in the vast darkness of space at a time when its location is still uncertain is an impressive achievement,” ESA said.
It added, “This observation helped astronomers determine the closest approach distance and time given above with such high precision.”
According to the Minor Planet Center, an international organization that tracks asteroids, comets and other small bodies, another small asteroid, called 2025 TQ2, also flew into Earth’s vicinity on the same day as 2025 TF’s approach.
According to EarthSky.org, the asteroid reportedly passed Earth over Canada at a distance of about 4,850 km (3,014 mi), which is less than half the Earth’s diameter.
Although asteroids and other space objects of such size do not pose any significant threat to life and property on Earth, they can create fireballs if they collide with the planet’s atmosphere.
Space agencies around the world are constantly tracking such near-Earth objects, and if they are larger than 150 m (500 ft) and are estimated to come closer than about 7.5 million km (4.65 million mi) to Earth, they are classified as “potentially hazardous” to the planet.
However, smaller asteroids can still cause significant damage. Astronomers say the 65-meter-long (300 feet) asteroid 2024 YR4, which was spotted last year and predicted to have a small chance of hitting the moon, could wipe out entire cities if it hits Earth.
While it is actually predicted to miss our planet, there is a 4 percent chance of crashing into the Moon in December 2032 and throwing up lunar dust and debris, which could threaten satellites around Earth.
Researchers estimate that the asteroid could generate a cloud of lunar debris weighing more than 100,000,000 kilograms, which could “accumulate on Earth on a time scale of a few days” and expose Earth-orbiting satellites to meteorites for years.
Astronomers recently proposed planning a mission to blow up the asteroid using nuclear explosives to reduce the risk of debris hitting its moon destroying satellites.