Close approach of asteroid (612356) 2002 JX8

Asteroid (612356) 2002 JX8 will safely fly past Earth on 9 May 2025 at 11:01 UTC (13:01 CEST). It is between 250 and 600 m across and will come as close as approximately 11 times the average distance between Earth and the Moon.

The asteroid's orbit around the Sun sees it safely pass Earth several times in just a few years before experiencing roughly two decades without another close encounter. It also regularly visits Venus, where it often passes closer to the planet's surface that it does at Earth.

Find out more about asteroids and ESA's Planetary Defence activities.