NASA issues colossal Asteroid alert, 2003 MH4 to pass Earth this weekend: Should you worry?

Time of India

22-05-2025

A
colossal asteroid
, roughly the height of the Eiffel Tower, is set to pass Earth this weekend in what
NASA
calls a 'close encounter'. The object, named 387746 (2003 MH4), spans 335 metres wide — about the size of a 100-storey building — and will fly past our planet on 24 May at 4:07 PM IST (10:37 UTC).
Although there's no threat of impact, its size and speed have triggered heightened monitoring by NASA. The asteroid is currently travelling at a blistering 30,060 km/h, fast enough to circle Earth in just over an hour. Given its orbit and proximity, it's classified as a
Potentially Hazardous Asteroid
(PHA).
'This weekend's sighting is a warning, not a threat,' noted NASA's Centre for Near-Earth Object Studies (
CNEOS
), the body tasked with tracking thousands of space rocks that could pose risks.
by Taboola
by Taboola
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Why scientists are wary of MH4's orbit
2003 MH4 belongs to the
Apollo group of asteroids
, which are known to cross Earth's orbital path. Its flyby distance is 6.67 million kilometres, or roughly 17 times the distance from Earth to the Moon. That might sound distant, but astronomers consider anything within 7.5 million kilometres and larger than 140 metres worthy of close observation.
The real concern lies in what might happen in the future. Objects in space, especially those in the Apollo group, don't always stay on their predicted paths.
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Gravitational nudges
from planets — or even the Yarkovsky effect (where sunlight gradually alters an asteroid's trajectory) — can shift orbits over time. A slight redirection could potentially turn a safe pass into a collision course in the years ahead.
'If one of these rocks ever hit Earth, the destruction would be enormous,' experts warn. 'The energy released would compare to thousands of nuclear bombs.'
Such an event could cause regional devastation — fires, tsunamis, seismic shockwaves — and send dust clouds into the sky, blocking sunlight and triggering a possible 'impact winter'.
Planetary Defence: From tracking to action
The good news? Agencies like NASA and global partners are not taking these flybys lightly.
CNEOS and other observatories are constantly watching the skies. The goal is not just early detection but also to prepare response strategies. Programmes are already exploring how to deflect or disrupt incoming asteroids before they become existential threats.
This flyby acts as a timely reminder. While we're safe now, space remains unpredictable.
Meanwhile, 12.5-Gorilla asteroid 2025 KF also has a close call with earth.
In an unrelated but equally attention-grabbing event, another asteroid — 2025 KF — flew by at a distance that was even closer to Earth on Wednesday, 21 May, at a distance of just 111,000 kilometres. That's less than a third of the distance to the Moon.
Discovered only this year, the asteroid is around 23 metres wide, which is equivalent to the combined height of 12 and a half fully grown gorillas, according to a playful comparison made using
World Wildlife Fund
figures.
Despite its small size, scientists are treating it seriously. Some asteroids are not solid rocks but 'rubble piles' — loose clusters of rock and dust held together by gravity. These can change shape and size as they pass near a planet's gravitational field.
'When a rubble pile asteroid passes by a sufficient source of gravity, the pull of gravity will cause the rubble to shift,' researchers explain.
If 2025 KF were to hit Earth, it would likely create a loud airburst explosion, but not one capable of causing large-scale destruction. Still, it's a firm reminder of how dynamic and volatile our cosmic neighbourhood can be.
In a world increasingly focused on artificial intelligence and geopolitics, space remains an untameable frontier. Both MH4 and 2025 KF illustrate the sheer scale of what's moving above us — from 23-metre rubble clumps to towering boulders the size of skyscrapers.
Neither asteroid poses a threat today. But as scientists warn, the risk isn't what we see — it's what might change.
'Our world is secure for the time being, but the universe has its own agenda,' said a spokesperson from NASA's science division.
Asteroids may not often make headlines, but they shape the long-term survival odds of our planet. And for now, we're just lucky observers in a fast-moving solar system.