Newly discovered massive asteroid whizzes past Earth in unusually close flyby

• A newly-discovered asteroid, 2026 JH2, made an unusually close pass of Earth on Monday evening, May 18, at 10pm BST (5pm EDT).
• Discovered last week by astronomers in Arizona, the asteroid came within 91,000 kilometers (57,000 miles) of Earth, which is less than a quarter of the distance to the Moon and closer than some satellites.
• Measuring up to 35 meters (115 feet) across, the asteroid is larger than a blue whale and comparable in size to the Chelyabinsk meteor that exploded over Russia in 2013.
• Astronomers confirm that Asteroid 2026 JH2 poses no risk to Earth or the Moon, but its proximity would allow for observation with telescopes and binoculars.
• The Virtual Telescope Project broadcast a live stream of the flyby which started at 8:45pm BST on Monday, and the asteroid is not expected to pass by Earth again until 2060.

IN FULL

Asteroid the size of a blue whale to skim past Earth today – and you can see it