How Did We Miss the Asteroid That Will Narrowly Miss Us?
Nautilus | Science • • science
Key Points:
- An asteroid roughly the size of a blue whale will pass within about 56,500 miles of Earth this evening, which is close but not unusual for near-Earth objects.
- Humanity only became aware of asteroid 2026 JH2 about a week ago, highlighting gaps in current asteroid detection capabilities.
- The collapse of the Arecibo telescope in 2020 and ongoing repairs to NASA’s Goldstone antenna have compromised radar monitoring, reducing our ability to assess impact risks accurately.
- Only about 1 percent of Earth-skimming asteroids of this size are typically detected, despite advancements in optical telescopes like the Vera C. Rubin Observatory and the James Webb Space Telescope.
- This event underscores the vastness and unpredictability of space, reminding us that many cosmic objects remain undetected until they are very close to Earth.