Skyscraper-sized asteroid to fly past Earth this week: watch it online
Kyiv • UNN
The asteroid 2025 FA22, measuring between 130 and 290 meters, will fly past Earth at a distance of 835,000 kilometers. Its flyby can be observed live, although scientists previously believed it could collide with the planet in 2089.
This week, an asteroid the size of a skyscraper will fly past Earth. Until recently, it was believed that there was a small probability of it colliding with our planet in 2089. However, scientists no longer believe that the asteroid will hit, and its flyby can be seen in a live broadcast. This is reported by Live Science, writes UNN.
Details
In the coming days, astronomers and everyone interested will be able to observe asteroid 2025 FA22, which will fly relatively close to Earth. Its size ranges from 130 to 290 meters, which means that in terms of its magnitude, it is almost as large as a skyscraper. The cosmic guest will fly at a distance of about 835 thousand kilometers from Earth – more than twice as far as the Moon.
Despite the fact that the asteroid will fly at a relatively safe distance, its speed is impressive – approximately 38.6 thousand kilometers per hour. If it did collide with Earth, the consequences could be catastrophic: the impact energy could destroy a metropolis.
The asteroid was discovered in March 2025 by the Pan-STARRS 2 telescope in Hawaii. Astronomers believed that there was a small (0.01% – which is considered quite large for astronomers) probability of a collision with Earth in September 2089. It was then that the object topped the European Space Agency's list of potential threats. But later, the risk of collision was completely ruled out, as astronomers recalculated its trajectory and excluded such a possibility of impact with Earth. In May 2025, the asteroid was officially removed from the ESA risk list.
This year's flyby of 2025 FA22 can be seen live thanks to the "Virtual Telescope" project. The broadcast will begin on the night of September 18 at 11:00 PM EDT (06:00 AM September 18 Kyiv time) from the observatory in Manciano, Italy. If the sky is clear, the asteroid will become bright enough to be seen even with household telescopes or powerful binoculars.
In addition to observation, scientists will use this event to collect new data. In particular, NASA's Goldstone radar telescope in California will help determine the asteroid's size, shape, and surface features. And the International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN) will conduct training to practice an asteroid deflection scenario, as if it were indeed going to collide with Earth in the future. Thus, astronomers will conduct a "training" before a real threat in the future.
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