Asteroid 2025 TF flies 430 km above earth

Last week, an asteroid passed just 430 kilometers above Earth—nearly as close as the International Space Station (ISS). This event marked the second closest recorded asteroid flyby. The asteroid, named 2025 TF, passed over Antarctica at 00:47 on Wednesday, October 1st. Traveling at an altitude of approximately 428 kilometers, the asteroid entered the ISS's orbit range, which varies between 370 and 460 kilometers.

This close approach ranks second after the asteroid 2020 VT4, which passed only 368 kilometers from Earth in 2020.

Scientists note that such flybys are assessed without including incidents where the asteroid might enter the atmosphere, partially burn up, and skip off the surface—like a stone skipping on water.

WOULD NOT HAVE CAUSED HARM IF IT HIT

Fortunately, 2025 TF poses no significant threat if it had struck Earth. Measuring only 1 to 3 meters (approximately 3–10 feet) in diameter, this small rock would likely have created a bright fireball and maybe left a few small meteor fragments.

DISCOVERED AFTER PASSING EARTH

The asteroid was detected only a few hours after its closest approach. The Kitt Peak-Bok Observatory in Arizona reported the first sighting at 06:36 UTC. Later analysis of Catalina Sky Survey data showed the object was recorded just two hours after its closest flyby.

WILL RETURN IN 2087

According to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), 2025 TF will return near Earth in the future. However, it will pass much farther away—about 8 million kilometers, which is 21 times the distance between the Earth and the Moon.

Experts highlight this event as another reminder of how late we often detect near-Earth objects. They stress the importance of continuously strengthening observation networks, even for small space rocks passing close to our planet.