An asteroid between 33 and 72 feet in diameter, designated 2026 EG1, will make a close approach to Earth tonight, passing within 217,000 miles – closer than the Moon, NASA has confirmed. This event underscores the ongoing efforts to monitor near-Earth objects and refine detection systems.
The asteroid was discovered just six days before its closest approach, highlighting the efficiency of current detection systems and the growing international collaboration in tracking potential space threats. The close flyby will see 2026 EG1 traveling at approximately 21,500 miles per hour.
According to the 2026 calendar, the asteroid will cross the southern hemisphere at its closest point at 11:27 PM EDT (03:27 GMT, 00:27 Argentina time) on March 12, 2026.
NASA’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) reported the asteroid’s discovery on March 8, allowing scientists to calculate its trajectory. The asteroid orbits the Sun every 655 days, following an elliptical path that ranges from inside Earth’s orbit to beyond that of Mars.
The agency currently tracks more than 41,000 near-Earth asteroids, a number that is steadily increasing thanks to facilities like the upcoming Vera Rubin Observatory. This ongoing effort is crucial for understanding and mitigating potential risks from space objects.
NASA officials emphasize that the vast majority of these asteroids pose no threat to Earth. The CNEOS forecasts indicate no significant impact risk for the next 100 years, though scientists maintain alert protocols and conduct global simulations to improve response capabilities.
“The ‘potentially hazardous’ designation simply means that, over many centuries and millennia, the asteroid’s orbit could evolve to grow one with a chance of impacting Earth. We do not assess these long-term impact possibilities, of many centuries duration,” explained Paul Chodas, director of CNEOS.
Asteroid monitoring relies on global networks and advanced technologies. The Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS), funded by NASA, allowed for the discovery of 2024 YR4 in December 2024.
For a brief period, the object – approximately 200 feet in diameter – was considered the most hazardous asteroid ever detected due to its potential impact with the Moon. The initial probability of collision with our satellite was 4.3%, while the risk to Earth was zero.
The risk was later dismissed when astronomers at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHUAPL) used the James Webb Space Telescope to observe the asteroid between February 18 and 26. The modern data refined the orbital parameters, confirming that 2024 YR4 will safely pass the Moon at an altitude of 13,800 miles on December 22, 2032.
In January, scientists also documented the fastest-rotating asteroid known, designated 2025 MN45, spinning at a rate of one rotation every two minutes and measuring approximately 2,460 feet in diameter. Such discoveries deepen our understanding of the dynamic behavior and diversity of objects in the solar system.
According to NASA, asteroids are remnants from the formation of the solar system, approximately 4.6 billion years ago, with most concentrated in the main belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Some, known as Near-Earth Objects (NEOs), have orbits that bring them within 93 million miles of the Sun and occasionally cross Earth’s orbit.
Among these, only a small fraction are classified as Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs), technically defined as coming within 4.6 million miles of Earth’s orbit.
“Most near-Earth objects do not have orbits that bring them particularly close to Earth and, do not pose an impact risk,” NASA stated.
Planetary defense is a key focus for NASA and its international partners, who conduct simulations and tests of asteroid redirection. The agency’s DART mission successfully demonstrated the ability to alter an object’s trajectory through controlled impact. Simultaneously, data accumulation and improved orbital prediction allow for more accurate identification of objects requiring special monitoring.
The next close approach of 2026 EG1 to another planet will occur on September 13, 2186, when it passes approximately 7.6 million miles from the surface of Mars.
