Latest news with #2002JX8
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
NASA tracks stadium-size asteroid passing near Earth: Here's how to watch it live
An asteroid about the length of three football fields is due to pass closely – but safely – by Earth in a matter of hours. Talk of asteroids coming too close for comfort to Earth may remind people of asteroid 2024 YR4, which became infamous earlier in 2025 when astronomers calculated a slight chance of it impacting with Earth. But while YR4 was eventually ruled out as a threat during its flyby in 2032, the asteroid passing Earth on Friday, May 9, never posed any danger to begin with. The gigantic space rock, which NASA compares to the size of a stadium, has a diameter of about 950 feet It may not be on a menacing trajectory, but it will still come close enough to Earth to warrant astronomers keeping a close eye on it as it whizzes by within about 2.6 million miles of our world. Here's everything to know about the asteroid, how the public can track it going by and why NASA keeps a close eye on inbound space rocks. The asteroid, dubbed 2002 JX8, makes close approaches to both Earth and Venus relatively often, according to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, managed by Caltech in California. It's last trip near Earth came about two years ago, May 27, 2023, and after the 2025 flyby, it'll be about another two years until we see 2002 JX8 again on April 15, 2027. The asteroid is much too small and far away to see without a telescope. But those who want to catch a glimpse of the asteroid, even if it's virtual, still have a chance. The Virtual Telescope Project plans to stream the event live on YouTube. The video won't show the asteroid itself, but it will allow viewers to distinguish 2002 JX8 as a tiny dot moving past stars that appear as even tinier dots in the background. The organization will go live at 4:30 p.m. ET. Here's where to watch it: The asteroid 2002 JX8 is large enough for NASA to deem it as "potentially hazardous" space object. The JPL lab tracks any asteroids or comets with orbits that will bring them within 4.6 million miles of Earth, or 19.5 times the distance to the moon. Its Asteroid Watch dashboard displays the date of the next five closest approaches, as well as each object's approximate diameter and its distance from Earth. After asteroid 2002 JX8, the next four asteroids slated to pass by Earth are relatively small – no bigger than a house. Any object larger than about 150 meters (about 492 feet) that can approach the Earth to within this distance becomes potentially hazardous, according to the lab. Most asteroids orbit within the main asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. But some follow paths that circulate into the inner solar system, including so-called near-Earth asteroids, according to NASA. YR4 and its much larger cousin, the equally infamous Apophis were the most alarming space rocks astronomers have discovered and studied for decades. Now that they have been ruled out as threats to Earth, astronomers still studying such imposing space rocks could help the world's space agencies prepare to mount a planetary defense if the need ever arose. NASA and the European Space Agency both plan to send uncrewed spacecraft to observe Apophis in the years ahead to map and study its surface to gain further insights into near-Earth asteroids. Protecting Earth from incoming space rocks could look a little like the test NASA pulled off in 2022 when it demonstrated that it was possible to nudge an incoming asteroid out of harm's way by slamming a spacecraft into one as part of its Double Asteroid Redirection Test, or DART. As of October, a craft from the European Space Agency is on the way to get an up-close look at the asteroid's remnants. NASA is additionally working on an asteroid-hunting telescope known as the NEO Surveyor to find near-Earth objects capable of causing significant damage. Now set to launch no earlier than 2027, the telescope is designed to discover 90% of asteroids and comets that are 460 feet in size or larger and come within 30 million miles of Earth's orbit. Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@ This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: NASA tracks stadium-size asteroid passing near Earth: How to watch
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Stadium-sized asteroid approaching Earth May 9, how to see in Texas
A stadium-sized asteroid will pass by Earth on Friday, May 9. And if you're interested, you could see it happen in real time, thanks to a livestream from The Virtual Telescope Project. Known as the main belt asteroid 612356 2002 JX8 is not expected to post a threat to Earth during the 2025 flyby, according to NASA. Scientists at the Center for Near Earth Object Studies who track the long-term potential orbits of near-Earth objects have said it is unlikely that a large asteroid capable of causing widespread damage will strike Earth in the next 100 years. With that being said, the Virtual Telescope Project's YouTube channel will go live at 2:30 p.m. MT (4:30 p.m. ET), just a few hours before 2002 JX8 makes its closest approach to Earth at (11:02 GMT). The stream will also show views of the asteroid Vesta, which reached opposition on May 2, and is still relatively bright in the night sky. The asteroid is expected to safely come as close as 4.2 million kilometers or 2.6 million miles, according to Gianluca Masi, the founder of The Virtual Telescope Project. Masi's organization has successfully captured several images of 2002 JX8 in the run up to its Friday, May 9, flyby, in which the asteroid appears as a distinct dot of light that could be seen shifting position relative to the stars behind it. The Virtual Telescope Project offers free online observing sessions for the public for asteroid flybys and similar events, as well as access to individual robotic telescopes. Potentially hazardous asteroids (PHAs) such as 2002 JX8 are categorized as such based on their brightness (magnitude +22.0 or lower/brighter) and their ability to perform a "threatening close approach to Earth," according to NASA, which is defined as coming within 0.05 astronomical units, or 4.6 million miles (7.5 million km) of our planet. For reference, 1 AU is the equivalent of 93 million miles (150 million km), the average distance separating Earth and the sun. More: What time is the ETA Aquarids? Here's when to see meteor shower in Texas Source: This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Watch stadium-sized asteroid approach Earth live today on YouTube
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
A stadium-sized asteroid will fly past Earth on May 9, and you can watch it live (video)
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. On May 9, a stadium-sized potentially hazardous asteroid will pass by Earth, and you can watch the flyby happen in real time courtesy of a livestream from The Virtual Telescope Project. The main belt asteroid 612356 2002 JX8 is estimated to have a diameter of 950 feet (290 meters) according to NASA, and will pose absolutely no threat to Earth during its 2025 flyby. The Virtual Telescope Project's YouTube channel will go live at 4:30 p.m. EDT (20:30 GMT) on May 9, just a few hours before 2002 JX8 makes its closest approach to Earth at (11:02 GMT). The stream will also show views of the asteroid Vesta, which reached opposition on May 2, and is still relatively bright in the night sky. TOP TELESCOPE PICK: Want to explore the solar system with your own eyes? The Celestron NexStar 4SE is ideal for beginners wanting quality, reliable and quick views of celestial objects. For a more in-depth look at our Celestron NexStar 4SE review. "We did follow-up observations of the Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (612356) 2002 JX8, slowly approaching our planet: on 9 May 2025, it will safely come as close as 4.2 millions of km [(2.6 million miles)] from us, 10.9 times the average lunar distance," wrote Gianluca Masi, founder of The Virtual Telescope Project in a recent blog post. "We will show it live!" Masi's organization has successfully captured several images of 2002 JX8 in the run up to its May 9 flyby, in which the asteroid appears as a distinct dot of light that could be seen shifting position relative to the stars behind it. The Virtual Telescope Project offers free online observing sessions for the public for asteroid flybys and similar events, as well as access to individual robotic telescopes. Potentially hazardous asteroids (PHAs) such as 2002 JX8 are categorized as such based on their brightness (magnitude +22.0 or lower/brighter) and their ability to perform a "threatening close approach to Earth," according to NASA, which is defined as coming within within 0.05 astronomical units, or 4.6 million miles (7.5 million km) of our planet. For reference, 1 AU is the equivalent to 93 million miles (150 million km), which is the average distance separating Earth and the sun. NASA scientists believe that there are around 4,700 PHAs whizzing around our solar system, based on observations from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mission. However, we will likely never see one actually impact our planet's surface. The agency estimates that an asteroid with a diameter of around 500 ft (140 m) impacts Earth just once every 20,000 years, while an asteroid with a diameter of 3,000 ft (1,000 m) collides with our planet once every 700,000 years. Scientists at the Center for Near Earth Object Studies responsible for tracking the long term potential orbits of near-Earth objects have also stated that it is unlikely that a large asteroid capable of causing widespread damage will strike Earth in the next 100 years. That leaves you plenty of time to get to know the night sky! If you want to catch a glimpse of a solar system planet or globular cluster for yourself, then be sure to check out our guides for the best binoculars deals and the best telescope deals in 2025.
Forbes
08-05-2025
- Science
- Forbes
How To See An Asteroid Bigger Than A Football Stadium Come Close On Thursday
Asteroid (612356) 2002 JX8 will come within 2.6 million miles (4.2 million kilometers) of Earth, but ... More beyond the moon (not pictured here in this artist's impression). Getty An asteroid the size of a football stadium will fly safely by Earth on Friday, May 9, 2025, 23 years after its discovery. For such a large object to come close to Earth is rated as a once-per-year event, but it won't pose any threat. The Virtual Telescope Project will show it live at 20:30 UTC (3:30 p.m. EDT) on Thursday, May 8, 2025. Asteroid (612356) 2002 JX8 will come within 2.6 million miles (4.2 million kilometers) of the planet — about 10.9 times farther than the moon, according to the Center for Near-Earth Object Studies at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The moon is, on average, 238,855 miles/384,400 kilometers from Earth. That may not sound close — and it certainly poses no danger to Earth — but for an asteroid, this large to come this close is a relatively rare event. Any object that comes within 4.6 million miles of Earth and is larger than 492 feet is capable of causing significant regional damage in the event of impact. Asteroid (612356) 2002 JX8 is 950 feet (290 meters) wide and therefore referred to as a 'potentially hazardous object' by NASA. Asteroid (612356) 2002 JX8 is classed as an Aten asteroid, which means it orbits the sun in less than a year and is often hidden in its glare as seen from Earth but crosses Earth's orbit. The Next Asteroid Close Approach On June 5, 2025, asteroid 424482 (2008 DG5) will come within 2.2 million miles (3.5 million kilometers) of Earth — about 8.4 times farther than the moon. At up to 2,300 feet (700 meters), it's about the size of the Golden Gate Bridge; its close pass is rarer than the 2002 JX8. 2008 DG5 is an Apollo asteroid, which means its orbital pass crosses Earth's. CNEO computes and characterizes the orbits of all known near-Earth objects — asteroids and comets — and predicts their close approaches with Earth. It's a critical part of NASA's Planetary Defense Program. Details of the next five close approaches are published on NASA's Asteroid Watch page. Asteroid YR4 Another near-Earth object, asteroid 2024 YR4, hit the headlines earlier this year when astronomers calculated that it would strike Earth on Dec. 22, 2032. Discovered on Dec. 27, 2024, by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System in Chile, 2024 YR4 measures about 130 to 300 feet (40 to 90 meters) in diameter. NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies updated the asteroid's impact probability to 3.1%, the highest ever recorded for an object of this size, but after hundreds of observations on Feb. 24, it reduced this probability to almost zero. Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
