Overview
- The European Space Agency announced that asteroid (152637) 1997 NC1 will make its closest approach on Saturday 27 June 2026 at about 11:14 GMT and will be roughly 2.56 million kilometres from Earth.
- ESA says the object will pass at about 6.6 lunar distances, travel at roughly 8.9 kilometres per second at closest approach, and has a zero probability of impact for this flyby.
- Size estimates range from about 750 to 1,650 metres in diameter depending on assumed surface reflectivity, a range that does not change the safety assessment for this pass.
- Observers with small telescopes or strong binoculars can try to spot the asteroid from the Northern Hemisphere on the nights of 26–28 June, though a bright Moon may hamper visibility at peak approach.
- Planetary defence teams track such objects routinely to refine orbits and rule out risk, and ESA says a close pass by a body this large only happens every few years, so the event offers useful data for future monitoring.