Asteroid 2025 TF zooms within 265 miles of Earth, alarming space agencies
- On October 1, 2025, the asteroid 2025 TF passed just 265 miles above Earth, near Antarctica.
- Space agencies, including the ESA and NASA, tracked the event closely and noted that the asteroid posed no significant danger.
- Such close encounters are monitored by space agencies to understand better and protect against possible asteroid threats.
On October 1, 2025, an asteroid identified as 2025 TF made a close approach to Earth, passing over Antarctica. This event occurred at 8:47 p.m. ET, at an altitude of just 265 miles, which is dangerously near the orbit of the International Space Station and many satellites functioning in low Earth orbit. The European Space Agency (ESA) confirmed that this small asteroid measured between 3.2 feet and 9.8 feet across. According to their analysis, it did not pose any significant risk to the planet during its passage. However, had it entered the atmosphere, it might have produced a fireball and been visible as a meteorite upon landing. Astronomers detected the asteroid only a few hours after it passed and stated that tracking such small objects is challenging given the vastness of space and the uncertainty of their trajectory. The Catalina Sky Survey, a NASA-funded initiative dedicated to monitoring near-Earth objects, was among the first to locate the asteroid. Following their detection, ESA's Planetary Defence Office confirmed and tracked the object's close approach. This observation was a significant achievement, allowing precise determination of the asteroid's position and trajectory. The agency noted that while minor asteroids like 2025 TF typically pose no threat, they engage scientists' interest due to their unpredictable nature. The 2025 TF is not expected to make another approach to Earth until April 2087. Interestingly, another smaller asteroid, named 2025 TQ2, made a close approach the day following 2025 TF's, passing over Canada at a distance of about 3,014 miles on October 2, 2025. The Minor Planet Center highlighted that while space agencies monitor thousands of near-Earth objects, only those larger than 500 feet in diameter, and that come within 4.65 million miles of Earth's orbit, are classified as Potentially Hazardous Asteroids. This classification means that while many small asteroids can come alarmingly close, they are not a significant concern if they fall below the size threshold that poses actual danger.