A new asteroid, designated 2025 TP2, is set to make its closest approach to Earth on October 15, 2025, at 20:08 UTC, passing within just 0.25 lunar distances (approximately 97,158 kilometers or 60,371 miles) from the planet’s center. This remarkable event will mark the 125th known asteroid to pass by Earth this year and the eighth so far in October, following a total of 26 close encounters during September.
2025 TP2 was first detected on October 13, 2025, by the ATLAS-MLO observatory in Mauna Loa, Hawaii, only two days prior to its close flyby. The asteroid belongs to the Apollo group and is estimated to have a diameter ranging between 13 to 30 meters (43 to 98 feet), which is comparable to the object that broke apart over Chelyabinsk, Russia, in 2013, causing significant damage and injuries to many.
At the time of its closest approach, 2025 TP2 will be traveling at a relative velocity of approximately 8.37 km/s (5.2 mi/s) in relation to Earth. Following its pass by Earth, the asteroid is expected to come closer to the Moon just after midnight on October 16, at a distance of 119,640 km (74,340 miles).
According to NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS), 2025 TP2 orbits the sun with a moderate eccentricity of 0.49, a semi-major axis of 1.89 AU, and an orbital inclination of 1.47 degrees. Its minimum orbit intersection distance (MOID) with Earth is estimated to be 0.000603 AU (90,200 km or 56,000 miles), categorizing it as a near-Earth object. The asteroid’s orbital period around the sun is approximately 2.6 years.
As we observe these celestial events, the close flybys of asteroids like 2025 TP2 serve as a reminder of the dynamic nature of our solar system, as well as the effectiveness of monitoring systems that help keep track of potential near-Earth objects. This detection and tracking capability provides valuable insights into our ever-changing cosmic neighborhood.