A newly discovered asteroid, designated 2026 JH2, and its trajectory have been the focus of intense study the past few days, as it is predicted to pass the Earth's orbit on May 18. But as of writing, calculations show it will be about 56,000 miles (90,000 km) from Earth's atmosphere and, thus, unlikely to hit us.
Yet, for comparison, the 50 to 100 foot (15 to 30 m) asteroid is much closer than the moon. The encounter will be streamed live by the Virtual Telescope Project beginning at 5:45 pm ET on May 18.
Indeed, asteroids have been brushing past Earth for as long as the planet has existed, but every so often one comes close enough to give the scientific community cause for concern. These near‑misses are reminders that our solar system is far from static.
Click through the following gallery to discover some of the close calls from the last 20 years.