Bus-Sized Asteroid Narrowly Misses Earth: NASA Reveals Stunning Near-Miss Event

2026 EG1, which is estimated to be about 40 feet in width, zipped past us at an impressive speed of more than 21,500 miles per hour. Its closest approach occurred late Thursday night on the East Coast, marking another moment in our ongoing observation of near-Earth objects.

This space rock is part of an elliptical orbit around the sun, a path that periodically brings it into our cosmic vicinity before it continues its journey toward the outer regions of the solar system. The diligent work of NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies ensures that these celestial bodies are meticulously monitored and analyzed, keeping track of the asteroids and comets that wander near our planet.

The asteroid reached its closest approach late Thursday night Eastern time as it travels at more than 21,500 miles per hour.

NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies, which monitors and analyzes the paths of asteroids and comets, said 2026 EG1 follows an elliptical orbit around the sun that brings it into Earth’s orbital neighborhood before sending it back toward the outer solar system.

Near-Earth objects are defined as asteroids or comets whose orbits bring them within about 120 million miles of the sun. While tens of thousands of these objects have been identified, the vast majority do not pose an impact risk, and NASA doesn’t predict any dangerous asteroids in the next 100 years.

According to NASA, most asteroids considered potentially hazardous are typically much larger more than about 460 feet wide and pass significantly closer to Earth’s orbit than 2026 EG1. 

Scientists continuously track newly discovered objects using data collected by observatories around the world and conduct long-term impact monitoring. 

The flyby of 2026 EG1 is one of several close approaches cataloged by NASA each year as part of its planetary defense efforts.