As asteroid the size of a house will pass within just 57,000 miles (92,000 kilometers) of Earth today. That’s less than a quarter of the average distance between our planet and the Moon. Don’t worry, this wayfaring space rock—named asteroid 2026 JH2—poses no threat to Earth, but this close encounter will allow astronomers to take a good look at it. The Mount Lemmon Survey in Arizona first spotted the asteroid on May 10, so experts are still getting acquainted with it. Initial observations suggest 2026 JH2 is between 46 and 98 feet (14 and 30 meters) wide and will make its closest approach to Earth at approximately 5:58 p.m. ET today, according to the European Space Agency. You can watch the flyby in real time via the Virtual Telescope Project 2.0 livestream below. The video feed is scheduled to begin at 3:45 p.m. ET, weather permitting. Nice to meet you, 2026 JH2 According to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, preliminary calculations of 2026 JH2’s orbit show that it completes one trip around the Sun every 3.76 years, following an elliptical path that takes it as far out as Jupiter’s orbit.
Astronomers with the Virtual Telescope Project 2.0 will be tracking 2026 JH2’s close approach using a fleet of robotic telescopes in central Italy. They have already captured some images of the asteroid as it makes its way toward Earth. The photo featured up top was taken while 2026 JH2 was about 503,000 miles (810,000 km) away. During the livestream, you will be able to see the asteroid its peak brightness—around magnitude 11.5.
