Photo: dzika_mrowka / iStock / Getty Images
A massive asteroid named 2025 FA22, comparable in size to a New York skyscraper, made a close approach to Earth early Thursday (September 18). The asteroid, traveling at over 24,000 mph, passed at a distance more than twice as far as the Moon, at approximately 520,000 miles from our planet.
The asteroid, measuring between 427 and 951 feet, was discovered in March using the Pan-STARRS 2 telescope in Hawaii. Initially, it was thought to have a small chance of impacting Earth in 2089, which placed it at the top of the European Space Agency's (ESA) Risk List. However, further observations refined its trajectory, ruling out any impact risk, and the asteroid was removed from the risk list in May.
NASA and ESA confirmed that 2025 FA22 poses no immediate threat. The asteroid's size and speed could cause catastrophic damage if it were to collide with Earth, potentially crushing a major city and causing fires and tsunamis.
The close approach provided a valuable opportunity for scientists to study the asteroid. The International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN) is conducting a campaign to test the global planetary defense community's ability to measure the orbit and physical characteristics of large asteroids. ESA's Near-Earth Object Coordination Centre is actively participating in this effort.
Although 2025 FA22 poses no danger, its flyby is being used to practice measuring its properties, which is crucial for potential future deflection missions. The asteroid is expected to make another close approach in 2089 and an even closer one in 2173, when it will come within 200,000 miles of Earth, closer than the Moon. For those interested, the asteroid's flyby was streamed live by the Virtual Telescope Project, allowing viewers to witness the event.