Astronomers Track 2026 JH2 Flyby at 50,000 Miles — Asteroid 2026 Jh2 Earth Flyby

A newly discovered asteroid, 2026 JH2, is set for an asteroid 2026 jh2 earth flyby on Monday evening, when it will pass within around 50,000 miles of Earth. Astronomers say there is zero risk of impact.

The object was first spotted last week by the Mount Lemmon Survey in Arizona. The asteroid has been classified as a near-Earth asteroid and is thought to be between 16 and 35 metres wide.

Mount Lemmon Survey in Arizona

The Mount Lemmon Survey, an astronomical project based at the Mount Lemmon Observatory in Arizona, identified 2026 JH2 last week. That first detection set up the close approach now drawing attention this week.

At its nearest point, the asteroid should pass at about a quarter of the distance between Earth and the Moon. It is too faint to be seen with the human eye, but it should be visible through a telescope from some parts of the world as it makes its closest approach.

Monday evening Approach

Experts put the asteroid’s width at between 16 and 35 metres, with the upper estimate around 35 metres wide. That size and the close pass make it a tracked object, even as astronomers say the trajectory carries zero risk of impact.

For readers hoping to see it, the practical option is a telescope, not unaided viewing. The viewing window comes as the asteroid reaches its closest approach on Monday evening, when it will remain well inside the orbit of the Moon.

Earth and the Moon

The comparison with the Earth-Moon distance gives the scale: around 50,000 miles is roughly a quarter of that gap. For observers, that means a close pass on the map of the solar system, but not a threat on the ground.