Earth’s close encounter with jumbo jet-sized asteroid as it screams past closer than moon; scientists study rare near-miss encounter

According to NASA’s recent discovery, the 2025 QD8 asteroid safely passed through Earth on Wednesday (September 3), but came closer than the Moon and posed no danger. The object made its closest approach at approximately 135,500 miles (218,000 kilometers) from Earth. It was an exciting opportunity to observe a near-Earth object up close.

According to RT, it is estimated to be around 22 metres(about 72 feet) wide, roughly the size of a jumbo jet. That distance is just 57 percent of the average space between Earth and the Moon. Traveling at a speed exceeding 45,000 kilometers per hour (28,000 miles per hour), the asteroid’s passage occurred just before 11 am ET.

NASA’s Small-Body Database confirms the asteroid is not considered potentially hazardous because objects smaller than 140 meters rarely pose a global threat.


The Virtual Telescope Project, an international astronomy initiative, tracked the asteroid using its 17-inch telescope, “Elena,” and shared long-exposure images as 2025 QD8 approached. The project also live-streamed the flyby on YouTube starting Tuesday night, giving the public a chance to witness the space rock’s close approach from the safety of home.

Asteroids like 2025 QD8, categorized as near-Earth objects, are regularly monitored by NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies, which analyzes their orbits, predicts close approaches, and assesses potential impact hazards in coordination with the Planetary Defense Coordination Office.

Another small asteroid, 2025 QV5, roughly 11 meters across, also safely passed Earth recently, at about 500,000 miles, nearly twice the Earth-Moon distance. Observations of such objects help refine orbital predictions and improve detection capabilities.

NASA reassured the public that no known asteroid poses a significant impact risk within the next 100 years. For those interested in watching future asteroid flybys, the Virtual Telescope Project continues to provide live streams, images, and updates from observatories around the world, offering a rare chance to witness the dynamic activity of our solar system firsthand.