25 Asteroids Are Flying Past Earth This Week Here's What NASA's Data Actually Tells Us
NEO Close Approach Report | March 24–27, 2026
By Astrophyzix Digital Observatory | Published March 24, 2026
Introduction
Twenty-five near-Earth objects will make close approaches to our planet between March 24 and March 27, according to live data from NASA's Center for Near Earth Object Studies. The vast majority pose no threat whatsoever — but three carry a formal hazard classification, and one will pass closer to Earth than almost anything we've tracked in recent memory.
Here is what the numbers actually mean.
The object arriving first and nearest is (2026 FM3), due to pass on March 25 at a distance of just 0.62 lunar distances — roughly 238,000 kilometres, barely farther than the Moon itself.
- It is travelling at 5.44 km/s and is estimated to be around six metres across: roughly the size of a large van. It carries no hazard classification. At that size, even if it were somehow on an impact trajectory, it would almost certainly burn up in the atmosphere before reaching the ground.
Close behind it, (2026 FB4) passes on March 26 at 1.69 LD, followed by (2026 FX3) and (2026 FT2) on the 24th at 2.99 and 4.13 LD respectively. All are small, all are fast, and none are considered dangerous.
The Three That Are Classified as Potentially Hazardous
Three objects in this window carry a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA) designation. It is worth being precise about what that means: a PHA classification is not a prediction of impact. It is a flag applied to any asteroid that meets two criteria — it is larger than roughly 140 metres, and its orbit brings it within 0.05 astronomical units of Earth's orbit. It is a watching brief, not an alarm.
- The first is (2019 TP1), also catalogued as 885992, a 250-metre object approaching on March 25 at a miss distance of 59.31 LD — about 22.8 million kilometres. It is travelling at 13.51 km/s. Comfortably distant, but large enough, and orbital-path close enough, to warrant the designation.
- The second is (2013 FW13), catalogued as 837253, at 199 metres. It passes on March 27 at 66.82 LD and 19.76 km/s. Again: no impact risk, simply a formally monitored object with an orbit that intersects the zone where caution is warranted.
These are the kinds of objects planetary defence scientists track carefully over decades — not because they are about to hit us, but because a sufficiently long baseline of observations is the only way to rule out a future encounter with confidence.
The Largest Object: Half a Kilometre Wide
The biggest rock in this week's window is (2009 SW19), estimated at 515 metres across — roughly the height of the One World Trade Center. It passes on March 27 at a miss distance of 47.55 LD, travelling at 34.42 km/s, the fastest speed recorded in this dataset.
It carries no PHA designation, meaning its orbital path does not bring it within the threshold proximity to Earth's orbit despite its considerable size.
A 500-metre asteroid striking Earth would be a civilisation-scale event. This one is not doing that. But its presence in the weekly close-approach list is a useful reminder of the scale of objects that share our solar neighbourhood.
The Smallest: Three Metres
At the other end of the scale, (2025 FN7) is estimated at just three metres — smaller than a car. It passes on March 27 at 53.52 LD. Objects this small are detected with increasing frequency as telescope networks improve, and they are almost universally harmless. Even on a direct impact course, something this size would produce a bright fireball and, at most, scattered small meteorites.
What the Full Picture Looks Like
Across all 25 objects, miss distances range from 0.62 to 74.90 lunar distances, and sizes from 3 to 515 metres. Speeds range from 3.98 km/s (2023 FH3) to 34.42 km/s (2009 SW19).
Every single object is classified as a Near-Earth Object, meaning their orbits bring them into Earth's general neighbourhood — but 22 of the 25 carry no hazard designation at all.
This kind of weekly traffic is normal. Earth shares the inner solar system with millions of small bodies, and improved detection technology means we are cataloguing more of them than ever before.
The CNEOS close-approach table is updated continuously, and weeks with 20 or more entries have become routine.
Close Approach Summary
| Object | Date (UTC) | Size (m) | Speed (km/s) | Miss Distance (LD) | Hazard | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 FM3 | 2026-03-25 | 6 | 5.44 | 0.62 | No | JPL |
| 2026 FB4 | 2026-03-26 | 12 | 10.43 | 1.69 | No | JPL |
| 2026 FX3 | 2026-03-24 | 26 | 9.67 | 2.99 | No | JPL |
| 2026 FT2 | 2026-03-24 | 19 | 8.17 | 4.13 | No | JPL |
| 2026 FQ2 | 2026-03-24 | 15 | 10.41 | 6.26 | No | JPL |
| 2026 FB3 | 2026-03-26 | 21 | 13.10 | 7.34 | No | JPL |
| 2026 FA3 | 2026-03-27 | 19 | 13.77 | 7.46 | No | JPL |
| 2026 FG3 | 2026-03-24 | 36 | 21.55 | 8.06 | No | JPL |
| 2026 EP3 | 2026-03-25 | 28 | 8.17 | 8.21 | No | JPL |
| 2025 SP20 | 2026-03-25 | 14 | 10.96 | 18.70 | No | JPL |
Claim vs Evidence
| Claim | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Some NEOs approach closer than the Moon | 2026 FM3 passes at 0.62 LD (~238,000 km) |
| Three NEOs flagged as potentially hazardous | 2019 TP1, 2013 FW13, 885992 (2019 TP1) |
| Largest NEO in this period is 515 m | 2009 SW19 passes at 47.55 LD at 34.42 km/s |
| Fastest NEO exceeds 34 km/s | 2009 SW19 at 34.42 km/s |
What This Tells Us - Without Hype
Nothing in this window is on a collision course with Earth. The closest approach — (2026 FM3) at 0.62 LD — involves an object too small to survive atmospheric entry intact. The three hazardous-classified objects are large enough to be consequential if they ever did strike, but all three pass at distances measured in tens of millions of kilometres.
What this data represents, above all, is the maturity of planetary defence monitoring. Fifty years ago, most of these objects would have passed undetected. Today they are catalogued, tracked, and publicly reported in near real time. The solar system has not become more dangerous — we are have simply become much better at watching it.
Data sourced from the NASA CNEOS Close-Approach Data API. 1 Lunar Distance (LD) ≈ 384,400 km.
PHA = Potentially Hazardous Asteroid, defined by orbital parameters and minimum diameter, not by impact probability.