Trending Now - Asteroid Found Last Week to Fly Closer Than Moon on Monday
WHO:
CNN - Richard Binzel, a professor of planetary sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
CNN - Patrick Michel, an astrophysicist and director of research at the National Centre for Scientific Research in France.
CNN - Jean-Luc Margot, a professor of Earth, planetary and space sciences at the University of California, Los Angeles.
WHAT:
CNN - The asteroid 2026JH2 belongs to a class of asteroids called Apollo, which orbit the sun on trajectories that intersect with Earth’s orbit.
CNN - At its closest pass, 2026JH2 will be about two and a half times the distance at which hundreds of geosynchronous satellites orbit.
CNN - The asteroid will not enter the atmosphere, so there is no risk it will explode.
CNN - The asteroid will only be detectable with small telescopes at dark sites, remaining 100 times too faint to be seen by the human eye.
CNN - Astronomers have observed only about 1% of the near-Earth asteroids in the same size range as 2026JH2.
CNN - An asteroid named 2026JH2, roughly the size of one to two school buses, will fly by Earth.
CNN - The asteroid will come as close as 91,593 kilometers (56,913 miles) to Earth, which is about 24% of the average distance between Earth and the moon.
CNN - The close pass of 2026JH2 is expected to occur just before 6 p.m. ET.
CNN - The asteroid is estimated to be between 15 and 30 meters (49 and 98 feet) in diameter.
CNN - A partial livestream of the close pass will be provided by the Virtual Telescope Project starting at 3:45 p.m. ET.
WHERE:
CNN - The asteroid was discovered at the Mount Lemmon Survey in Tucson, Arizona.
CNN - The close pass will be observable from Earth, but 2026JH2 will remain too faint to be seen by the human eye.
WHEN:
CNN - The asteroid was discovered on May 10.
CNN - The asteroid will pass close to Earth on a Monday, just before 6 p.m. ET.
WHY:
CNN - The asteroid originates from the asteroid belt, an area between Mars and Jupiter, due to occasional collisions and gravitational tugs by Jupiter.
HOW:
CNN - Our planetary radar capabilities are currently degraded due to the collapse of the Arecibo telescope in 2020 and NASA’s Goldstone antenna being down for major repairs.
CNN - The asteroid was discovered using optical telescopes, which gather information based on the object's luminosity in visible light.
CNN - The asteroid's size estimation is based on assumptions about how much light it reflects, as infrared observations are needed for accurate size determination.
(UPDATED May 19, 2026 01:36 UTC)
Astronomers have identified an asteroid named 2026JH2, which is part of the Apollo class of asteroids that orbit the sun in paths intersecting with Earth's orbit. At its closest approach, this asteroid will be about two and a half times farther away than the distance at which many geosynchronous satellites operate, and it will not enter the atmosphere, posing no risk of explosion. However, due to current limitations in planetary radar capabilities, including the collapse of the Arecibo telescope and ongoing repairs to NASA's Goldstone antenna, 2026JH2 will only be detectable with small telescopes at dark sites, remaining too faint for the naked eye.
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(UPDATED May 18, 2026 23:22 UTC)
An asteroid named 2026JH2, measuring between 15 and 30 meters in diameter, is set to make a close pass by Earth, coming within 91,593 kilometers, which is about 24% of the average distance to the moon. This event is expected to occur just before 6 p.m. ET on a Monday, and while it will be observable from Earth, it will be too faint for the naked eye. The Virtual Telescope Project will provide a partial livestream of the close pass starting at 3:45 p.m. ET, allowing viewers to witness this intriguing celestial event.