Near-Earth Objects Today

What counts as a near-Earth object

A near-Earth object, or NEO, is an asteroid or comet whose orbit carries it within 1.3 astronomical units of the Sun — close enough that its path can bring it into Earth's neighbourhood. The definition is about orbital geometry, not proximity on any given day: an object is a NEO permanently, whether or not it happens to be nearby right now.

Nearly all of them are asteroids. A much smaller group, the near-Earth comets, have shorter-period orbits that reach the inner solar system. In NASA's catalogue the asteroid count runs into the tens of thousands and grows almost nightly as survey telescopes sweep the sky.

Today's near-Earth object approaches

These are the NEOs whose close approach falls on today's date in UTC, ordered from the closest pass outward.

• Asteroid 2018 SP2Orbitfall Index 51/100

  Close approach Wed, Sep 30, 2026 — misses Earth by 1,927,097 km (5.01 lunar distances) at 14.3 km/s. Estimated diameter 29–65 m. NASA does not list it as potentially hazardous.

• Asteroid 2014 QJ33Orbitfall Index 19/100

  Close approach Wed, Sep 30, 2026 — misses Earth by 16,885,637 km (43.91 lunar distances) at 6.0 km/s. Estimated diameter 48–108 m. NASA does not list it as potentially hazardous.

• Asteroid 2010 TW54Orbitfall Index 12/100

  Close approach Wed, Sep 30, 2026 — misses Earth by 17,457,205 km (45.39 lunar distances) at 4.5 km/s. Estimated diameter 8–18 m. NASA does not list it as potentially hazardous.

• Asteroid 2012 VT6Orbitfall Index 20/100

  Close approach Wed, Sep 30, 2026 — misses Earth by 22,754,832 km (59.17 lunar distances) at 6.4 km/s. Estimated diameter 64–143 m. NASA does not list it as potentially hazardous.

• Asteroid 2002 PN6Orbitfall Index 21/100

  Close approach Wed, Sep 30, 2026 — misses Earth by 62,349,989 km (162.13 lunar distances) at 1.6 km/s. Estimated diameter 176–393 m. NASA does not list it as potentially hazardous.

This score ranks how notable the asteroid approach is. It is not an impact prediction.

NEO, PHA, and the difference

Every potentially hazardous asteroid is a near-Earth object, but only a small minority of NEOs earn the PHA label. It requires both a minimum orbit intersection distance under 0.05 AU — roughly 19.5 lunar distances — and an absolute magnitude bright enough to imply a body around 140 metres or larger. The label marks an object worth long-term monitoring, nothing more.

Where today's data comes from

Every figure on this page originates with NASA's Near Earth Object Web Service, which publishes close approach data derived from the Center for Near-Earth Object Studies orbit solutions. Orbitfall reads that feed directly, flattens it into one record per approach, and ranks the result with the Orbitfall Index. Read more on the NASA asteroid tracker page or in how NASA tracks asteroids.

For the wider view, see asteroids passing Earth today, asteroids passing Earth this week, or the full Orbitfall tracker.

Frequently asked questions

What is a near-Earth object?

A near-Earth object is an asteroid or comet whose orbit brings it within 1.3 astronomical units of the Sun, which puts it in Earth's neighbourhood. The overwhelming majority are asteroids.

How many near-Earth objects are known?

More than 35,000 near-Earth asteroids have been catalogued, and survey telescopes add new ones almost every night.

Are near-Earth objects dangerous?

As a class, no. A small subset is classified as potentially hazardous based on size and orbit geometry, and those are monitored continuously. Classification is not an impact prediction.