A massive 190-foot asteroid to make close approach to Earth today, NASA confirms

Looking at the stars often feels peaceful and quiet. But sometimes, a visitor from space makes people look up with wonder. Scientists are now watching asteroid 2025 PM2 as it moves towards Earth.

How close will the asteroid come?
NASA has confirmed the rock is heading on course. The asteroid is around 190 feet wide in size. It travels at nearly 41,390 miles every single hour. On 27 August, it will make its closest pass. The distance will be about 2,310,000 miles from Earth. That may sound far away for daily life. But in space terms, it is considered very close.

Does it pose any danger to Earth?
Experts say the asteroid poses no threat this time. It belongs to the Aten group, known for crossing orbits. NASA classifies asteroids as hazardous using two clear conditions. They must pass within 7.4 million kilometres of Earth. They must also be wider than 85 metres in size. This rock, listed as 2025 PM2, does not meet both conditions.

Why do space agencies track such asteroids?
Even small flybys are taken very seriously by scientists. A slight orbital shift could change the rock’s path suddenly. For this reason, global agencies keep strict watch on space rocks. ISRO Chairman S. Somanath recently discussed India’s own future plans. He spoke about studying bigger asteroids, such as Apophis in 2029. He also mentioned collaborations with NASA, ESA and JAXA. India is preparing missions to land on and explore asteroids closely.