A giant 180-foot asteroid, 2025 OZ, set for close Earth flyby today, NASA confirms

Asteroid Alert! (Image: Canva)

Even when skies seem calm, space has its surprises. An asteroid the size of an airplane is flying close. While there's no cause for alarm, eyes are firmly fixed above.

A Cosmic Visitor Nears Earth
NASA has confirmed asteroid 2025 OZ will pass Earth. It will make its closest approach on 24 July. The space rock measures roughly 180 feet across. That’s about the size of an airplane. At its nearest, it’ll pass 3.34 million kilometres away. Though that seems far, astronomers consider it quite close. It’s travelling at nearly 31,000 miles per hour.

Experts say there’s no danger from this asteroid. NASA explains it doesn’t meet hazardous object conditions. For that label, it must pass closer than 7.4 million kilometres. It also needs to be at least 85 metres wide. This one crosses neither threshold. Still, scientists are carefully tracking its path. Even tiny changes in orbit are taken seriously. A slight shift could change a safe flyby into a risk.

Global Agencies Stay Ready
India’s space agency ISRO is keeping a close watch. Chairman S. Somanath has called for better planetary defence. He says an asteroid strike could cause major damage. ISRO is preparing to track the asteroid Apophis in 2029. The agency is also planning missions to land on asteroids. These missions may help test ways to protect Earth. Cooperation with NASA, ESA, and JAXA is part of the plan.

For now, 2025 OZ will pass without any issues. But the skies above remain active and full of motion. And for space agencies worldwide, the watch never ends.