Asteroid Discovered Just 2 Days Ago to Pass Closer Than the Moon Today – What You Need to Know!

A newly spotted asteroid, 2025 TP5, is set to glide past Earth today, October 15, at around 4:09 p.m. EDT. It will be just 60,328 miles (97,089 km) away—about a quarter of the distance to the moon, which is roughly 238,855 miles (384,400 km) away.

This asteroid is not small; it measures about 54 feet (16 meters) across, similar in size to the Chelyabinsk meteor that exploded over Russia in 2013. After its close pass by Earth, 2025 TP5 will also make a flyby of the moon tomorrow, October 16, zooming as close as 74,616 miles (120,084 km) to its surface.

Interestingly, astronomers only detected 2025 TP5 just a few days ago, on October 13, using the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) based in Mauna Kea, Hawaii. ATLAS is a cutting-edge system created to spot potentially hazardous asteroids, and its findings are shared through the Minor Planet Center, which groups observations from astronomers globally.

Despite its recent discovery, 2025 TP5 has been cruising past Earth for a long time. It came relatively close to our planet in September 1979, but it went unnoticed until now. This highlights a crucial point: many space rocks travel through our solar system without detection.

In recent years, technology to monitor near-Earth objects has dramatically improved. A recent NASA report suggests that astronomers now find several small asteroids near Earth each month. For example, earlier this October, another asteroid passed us at the same altitude as the International Space Station. With better detection tools, experts are more confident about tracking these celestial objects.

Experts encourage continued observation of these near-Earth objects. Dr. Amy Mainzer, an astronomer and former lead scientist for NASA’s Near-Earth Object program, notes, “With enhanced detection tools, we can better understand our cosmic neighborhood and assess potential threats.”

While 2025 TP5 poses no danger to Earth, its journey serves as a reminder that our sky is always buzzing with activity. Each flyby offers a chance to learn more about these fascinating space travelers, shedding light on our solar system’s past and helping us prepare for the future.

For more details about asteroids and their monitoring, you can visit the [NASA ATLAS website](https://atlas.fallingstar.com/).

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