jasdooit

A substantial asteroid near Earth, designated2025 FA22, will perform a near but secure close approach to Earth onThursday, September 18, 2025, astronomers have confirmed.

According to a Forbesreport, the asteroid – estimated to be approximately between120 meters and 280 meters in width(approximately the size of two football pitches) — will pass at a distance of523,000 miles (842,000 kilometres), which is over two times the distance from Earth to the Moon.

Astronomers acknowledged that close encounters with objects of this scale occur approximately once every ten years.

“Although this is a completely safe method, it is still impressive: a similar close approach, with an object of that size coming so near, occurs on average once every 10 years,” statedGianluca Masi, an astronomer with The Virtual Telescope Project.

The asteroid was initially identified inMarch 2025 by the Pan-STARRS 2 telescope. It was first identified as a possible threat for the year 2089, but further observations eliminated the chance of collision, resulting in theEuropean Space Agency (ESA)to take it off the list of risks.

If an asteroidif an object of this magnitude were to strike Earth, scientists caution that it might form a crater approximately4 kilometres wide. However, specialists have confirmed that there isno risk from this close approach.

At its nearest approach, the asteroid will attain amagnitude of 13.2, making it visible through small backyard telescopes. Space enthusiasts around the world, including viewers in Nigeria, can also watch the flyby live via afree online livestream hosted by the Virtual Telescope Project in Tuscany, Italy, starting at 03:00 Coordinated Universal Time on September 18.

“This occasion presents a unique chance to view a significant near-Earth object without risk, while emphasizing the significance of tracking dangerous asteroids,” Masi remarked.