Asteroid 2026 JH2 to Pass 56,000 Miles from Earth on May 18

A newly discovered near-Earth asteroid designated 2026 JH2 will pass within approximately 56,907 miles of Earth on Monday, May 18. m. EDT. Scientists estimate its size at 52 to 114 feet across, comparable to the asteroid that produced the 2013 Chelyabinsk airburst.

Astronomers with the Mount Lemmon Survey in Tucson, Arizona, and Farpoint Observatory in Eskridge, Kansas, found the object on May 10. It was added to the Minor Planet Center database shortly afterward. Researchers have classified 2026 JH2 as an Apollo-class asteroid whose orbit crosses Earth's path around the sun.

Current calculations show no collision risk, with the next close approach scheduled for May 23, 2090.

M. EDT on May 18. The asteroid will appear near the bright star Spica in the southeast sky during evening hours from the Northern Hemisphere. 5, the object will be visible in moderate backyard telescopes under clear skies. It will travel at approximately 19,417 miles per hour during the pass.