Small Asteroid 2025 TF Makes One of Closest Recorded Earth Flybys Over Antarctica

A small asteroid designated 2025 TF made an extremely close flyby of Earth on September 30, passing about 265-266 miles (428 kilometers) above Antarctica, roughly the altitude at which the International Space Station orbits. Measuring between 3 to 10 feet wide, the asteroid posed no threat to Earth and likely would have disintegrated in the atmosphere had it entered. The asteroid was only detected hours after its close approach by the Catalina Sky Survey and subsequently observed by the European Space Agency's Planetary Defence Office using telescopes such as the Las Cumbres Observatory in Australia. This event marks the second-closest asteroid flyby ever recorded, with only the 2020 VT4 asteroid passing closer at about 230 miles above Earth's surface. Astronomers note that despite improvements in detection capabilities, many small near-Earth objects like 2025 TF are often discovered only after passing Earth, underscoring the need for enhanced planetary defense systems. The asteroid orbits the Sun in a path that crosses Earth's orbit and has made previous close approaches, but its small size excludes it from posing any significant danger.