ASTEROID FLYBY0.6× MOON

Asteroid 2026 TG9 flew past Earth

Closest approach
Map: Asteroid 2026 TG9 flew past Earth

Asteroid 2026 TG9 passed Earth on Wednesday, October 14, 2026 at about 04:58 UTC, at 227,812 km (141,562 miles): 0.59 times the distance to the Moon, closer than the Moon itself. It was moving at 11.7 km/s (26,073 mph) relative to Earth and is about 10 to 23 meters (34 to 76 feet) across, judging by its brightness. NASA’s orbit puts it safely past: it posed no risk of hitting Earth on this pass.

Closest approachOct 14 04:58 UTC
Distance227,812 km · 141,562 mi
Lunar distances0.59
Speed11.7 km/s · 26,073 mph
Size (est.)10–23 m
Brightness (H)27.1
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Its orbit

It is an Apollo asteroid: its orbit is larger than Earth’s but crosses it. It circles the Sun once every 3.8 years. Astronomers first spotted it on October 9, 2026, just 5 days before its closest approach.

How often does this happen?

Small asteroids pass between Earth and the Moon every few weeks; most are only a few meters to tens of meters across and are found days before, or even after, they fly by. For scale, the rock that exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia, in 2013 was about 18 meters across.

Did you know?

Apophis, 2029. On April 13, 2029, the 340-meter asteroid Apophis will pass about 32,000 km from Earth, closer than some satellites, and bright enough to see without a telescope.

Data: NASA JPL Small-Body Database and CNEOS close approaches. Size assumes a reflectivity between 5 and 25 percent.

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