Newly Discovered Asteroid 2026 JH2 to Make Close Earth Flyby
News Context
At a glance
- Astronomers have identified a newly discovered near-Earth asteroid, designated 2026 JH2, which is projected to make a very close flyby of Earth.
- According to reporting from IFLScience, the asteroid is expected to reach a minimum distance of 0.00064 AU from the planet during the encounter.
- An astronomical unit, or AU, is a standard unit of measurement in astronomy representing the average distance between the Earth and the Sun, which is approximately 93 million...
Astronomers have identified a newly discovered near-Earth asteroid, designated 2026 JH2, which is projected to make a very close flyby of Earth.
According to reporting from IFLScience, the asteroid is expected to reach a minimum distance of 0.00064 AU from the planet during the encounter.
An astronomical unit, or AU, is a standard unit of measurement in astronomy representing the average distance between the Earth and the Sun, which is approximately 93 million miles.
The object is classified as a near-Earth object (NEO), a term used to describe asteroids or comets whose orbits bring them into proximity with Earth’s orbit.
The discovery of 2026 JH2 was reported on May 13, 2026, by Forbes and IFLScience.