On May 18th, the near-Earth asteroid 2026 JH2, estimated to be between 52 and 114 feet (16-35 meters) in diameter—comparable to a blue whale—will safely fly past Earth. Its closest approach will be approximately 56,628 miles (91,135 kilometers) away, posing no threat to our planet.
Discovered by the Mount Lemmon Survey, 2026 JH2 travels at about 19,417 mph (31,248 km/h). The Virtual Telescope Project will host a live YouTube stream of the event starting at 3:45 p.m. EDT (19:45 GMT), weather permitting. The asteroid will reach a magnitude of 11.5, visible through advanced telescopes.
After its flyby, 2026 JH2 will embark on a 3.8-year orbit extending near Jupiter. Its next predicted close approach to Earth is in 2060, at a much greater distance.
