NASA monitors bus-sized asteroid nearing Earth tonight

In the evening of September 24, 2025, NASA is monitoring a near-Earth asteroid designated "2021 R16" that is expected to pass by our planet at a close distance of approximately 2.41 million miles. This asteroid, measuring about 23 feet in diameter, will travel at a speed of around 19,000 miles per hour. It is one of several asteroids being tracked by NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies, highlighting concerns about potentially hazardous space rocks faintly approaching Earth. Earlier in the day, two other asteroids also made significant approaches to Earth. One, known as "2022 SW12," is 660 feet wide, while another smaller asteroid, "2025 SP3," measures 21 feet in diameter and came within 255,000 miles of our planet. These events are part of a constantly monitored list of near-Earth objects, with the aim of assessing any potential risks associated with their trajectories. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory emphasizes that while many near-Earth objects maintain safe distances from our planet, a small fraction is classified as potentially hazardous asteroids. These bodies orbit close to Earth and require regular observation to predict any future risks of impact. The agency reassures the public that, despite ongoing vigilance, none of the tracked asteroids are currently on a collision course with Earth. NASA's ongoing assessments and observations ensure that the impact probabilities of these objects are carefully calculated and communicated to the public. Although a single small asteroid may not present an immediate threat, the cumulative study of such near-Earth objects is critical in understanding and mitigating any future risks associated with asteroid impacts.