{"id":757075,"date":"2026-06-24T11:26:12","date_gmt":"2026-06-24T11:26:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/757075\/"},"modified":"2026-06-24T11:26:12","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T11:26:12","slug":"large-asteroid-to-pass-earth-safely-on-june-27","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/757075\/","title":{"rendered":"Large asteroid to pass Earth safely on June 27"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"LargeArtist\u2019s concept of an asteroid passing Earth. A large asteroid \u2013 some 60 times wider than the Chelyabinsk meteor that swept near and broke windows in six Russian cities in 2013 \u2013 will pass Earth safely on June 27. It\u2019ll be so close that telescope users will be able to see it as a starlike object moving on a timescale of minutes. Image via Batman111\/ Pixabay<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t miss the next unmissable night sky event. Sign up to EarthSky\u2019s free newsletter for daily night sky updates.<\/a><\/p>\n

Large asteroid to pass Earth safely<\/p>\n

A large asteroid will soar safely past Earth on June 27, 2026. <\/p>\n

The asteroid is estimated to be 0.6 miles wide (1 kilometer wide). That\u2019s some 50 to 60 times wider than the Chelyabinsk meteor that tore through Earth\u2019s atmosphere above Russia in 2013, creating a massive sonic boom and a shock wave that broke windows in six Russian cities. That event sent some 1,500 people to seek medical treatment, mostly from flying glass.<\/p>\n

The Chelyabinsk meteor came from the direction of the sun. It wasn\u2019t known beforehand and surprised everyone! <\/p>\n

The June 27 pass is a known asteroid, called 1997 NC1 (its permanent asteroid number is 152637). The Near-Earth Asteroid Tracking system on Haleakala<\/a> in Hawaii discovered it. It will pass on June 27 at a much-greater distance than the Chelyabinsk meteor, at some 1.5 million miles (2.4 million kilometers). That\u2019s just under 7 times farther away than the moon. So there is absolutely no danger from this asteroid.<\/p>\n

The last time an asteroid as big as this one came this close was in January 2022. That famous flyby was asteroid 1994 PC1<\/a>, comparable in size to 1997 NC1, but passing slightly closer at 1.23 million miles (1.98 million km, or about 5 times the moon\u2019s distance).<\/p>\n

Astronomers with big and small telescopes will be watching 1997 NC1 fly by. You would need a 6-inch-or-larger-diameter (15 cm) telescope to be able to see it. If that\u2019s you, see the star charts below to know where and when to point your telescope and witness this unique astronomical event. <\/p>\n

How to see the large asteroid 1997 NC1<\/p>\n

The asteroid will be moving at a speed of 19,886 miles per hour (32,000 kph). But space is vast, and so we won\u2019t see it move very quickly. Instead of streaking across the sky like a shooting star, asteroid 1997 NC1 will look \u2013 to those with a 6-inch or larger telescope \u2013 like a faint star (around magnitude 10<\/a>). It will not be visible to the eye alone. <\/p>\n

It will gradually drift against the background constellations, so that those with telescopes can easily notice its changing position, by checking back just 5 to 7 minutes later!<\/p>\n

The best dates for observing the asteroid using a telescope will be June 26, 27 and 28.<\/p>\n

1997 NC1 is categorized as an Aten<\/a>-type (Earth-crossing) asteroid. <\/p>\n

The combination of its large size and relatively close pass by Earth means the asteroid has earned the classification of a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid<\/a>.<\/p>\n

See the star charts below.<\/p>\n

Professional astronomers will also take a look<\/p>\n

In a big or little optical telescopes, any asteroid looks just looks like a tiny, steadily-moving point of light. It looks like a moving \u201cstar.\u201d That\u2019s where the name asteroid came from; it means starlike.<\/p>\n

But radar signals bouncing off an asteroid can reveal much more. By analyzing the returned signals, scientists can generate 3D models of an asteroid, revealing its true shape, size, craters, and whether it\u2019s a solid boulder or a loose \u201crubble pile.\u201d<\/p>\n

Astronomer Lance A. M. Benner<\/a>, an asteroid expert at NASA\/JPL, told EarthSky<\/a>: <\/p>\n

This object has not been observed with radar previously. We will use the 34-meter DSS-26 antennas as a transmitter (7190 MHz) and the 34-meter DSS-13 antenna as a receiver to observe this asteroid on June 24, 25, and 27.<\/p>\n

These antennas are at the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex<\/a> in the Mojave Desert, California.<\/p>\n

Still, it won\u2019t be easy for scientists to get good radar images. The legendary 1,000-feet (305-meter) Arecibo telescope in Puerto Rico is the one that captured radar images of other asteroids. And that collapsed<\/a> on December 1, 2020. <\/p>\n

With the Arecibo Observatory\u2019s main dish gone and other dishes undergoing modernization, astronomers currently have fewer tools available for deep-space radar imaging. For example, the 230-feet (70-meter) DSS-14 dish at Goldstone is currently offline until 2028 for modernization and installation of new equipment. <\/p>\n

Meanwhile, astronomers have limited or smaller resolution tools for studying medium-sized and large asteroids that pass by Earth.<\/p>\n

But astronomers will attempt to make other radar observations using other (smaller) available antennas in California and Australia. Benner added:<\/p>\n

We plan to use these to help resolve some discrepancies regarding the diameter, spectral class and optical albedo<\/a> [of asteroid 1997 NC1]. This will also help calibrate the Spitzer Space Telescope<\/a> and NEOWISE spacecraft<\/a> observations of this asteroid.<\/p>\n

Star charts for the asteroid 1997 NC1
\n\"AsteroidAsteroid 1997 NC1 will be visible to observers with small telescopes as it passes by Earth. This is where the asteroid will be around 10 p.m. CDT (3 UTC<\/a>) on June 26, 2026. Image via Stellarium<\/a>\/ Eddie Irizarry.
\n\"LocationHere\u2019s a closeup view of where the asteroid will be around 10 p.m. CDT (3 UTC) on June 26, 2026. Image via Stellarium<\/a>\/ Eddie Irizarry.
\n\"RedLook for the asteroid above the Teapot<\/a> of Sagittarius<\/a> the Archer around 10 p.m. CDT (3 UTC) on June 27, 2026. Image via Stellarium<\/a>\/ Eddie Irizarry.
\n\"RedThis closeup shows where asteroid 1997 NC1 will be around 10 p.m. CDT (3 UTC) on June 27, 2026. Image via Stellarium<\/a>\/ Eddie Irizarry.
\n\"MapThe large asteroid will between the moon and Antares<\/a>, the brightest star in Scorpius<\/a> the Scorpion, around 10 p.m. CDT (3 UTC) on June 28. Image via Stellarium<\/a>\/ Eddie Irizarry.
\n\"StarThis closeup view shows where the asteroid will be at 10 p.m. CDT (3 UTC) on June 28, 2026. Image via Stellarium<\/a>\/ Eddie Irizarry.<\/p>\n

Bottom line: On June 27, 2026, a large asteroid will safely pass close to Earth. Observers with small telescopes can watch the asteroid sail by. Finder charts here.<\/p>\n

Read more: Asteroid or comet? Meteor or meteorite? Answers here<\/a><\/p>\n

Read more: Dinosaur-killing asteroid created an abode for life<\/a><\/p>\n

Eddie Irizarry
\n View Articles<\/a><\/p>\n

About the Author:<\/p>\n

Eddie Irizarry of the Sociedad de Astronom\u00eda del Caribe (Astronomical Society of the Caribbean) has been a NASA Solar System Ambassador since 2004. He loves public outreach and has published multiple astronomy articles for EarthSky, as well as for newspapers in Puerto Rico. He has also offered dozens of conferences related to asteroids and comets at the Arecibo Observatory.
\n Asteroid 33012EddieIrizarry, a 7.8 km space rock, has been named in his honor.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Artist\u2019s concept of an asteroid passing Earth. A large asteroid \u2013 some 60 times wider than the Chelyabinsk…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":757076,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[64,63,128,285],"class_list":["post-757075","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-space","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-science","tag-space"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/757075","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=757075"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/757075\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/757076"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=757075"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=757075"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=757075"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}