One week ago, an asteroid flew so close to Earth that it nearly broke the record for the closest asteroid approach ever.
This space surprise came to astronomers’ attention on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, when the Catalina Sky Survey in Arizona spotted an asteroid named 2025 TF a few hours after it had passed Earth. Flying over Antarctica, the asteroid came a mere 428 kilometers (266 miles) from Earth’s surface. For reference, the International Space Station orbits our planet at a similar altitude, approximately 370 km to 460 km (254 miles).
Asteroid 2025 TF may have only amounted to a near miss, but keeping tabs on near-Earth objects like this — even if most miss Earth — is a never-ending responsibility for astronomers.
.jpg%2F500px-Donald_Trump_(53953173435).jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=1eb09485c9f1cd57919082677e15526c735bd86eb8152493e737ff4709ce030d)
