© Rob Landers / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
(Paris) – According to the European Space Agency, an asteroid just buzzed by Earth — roughly 266 above the planet’s surface — marking the second-closest approach ever recorded. Named “Asteroid 2025 TF” — the interplanetary object soared high above Antarctica — around 9:00 PM Tuesday, October 1.
The ESA wrote a message on X: “This is a similar altitude to the orbit of the International Space Station, and one of the closest approaches ever recorded.” Astronomers estimate the asteroid is roughly 3 to 10 feet across its longest point — and was first spotted by the Catalina Sky Survey — which is based at the University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Lab in Tucson.
Still, despite the close flight, astronomers noted a low risk level. The ESA statement continued: “Objects of this size pose no significant danger. They can produce fireballs if they strike Earth’s atmosphere, and may result in the discovery of small meteorites on the ground. Tracking down a metre-scale object in the vast darkness of space at a time when its location is still uncertain is an impressive feat. This observation helped astronomers determine the close approach distance and time given above to such high precision.”
The Las Cumbres Observatory telescope, located in Siding Spring, Australia — helped spot the relatively-tiny object.
