An asteroid that was predicted to have a small chance of impacting Earth in 2089 is set to skim past our planet tomorrow, 18 September 2025.
Asteroid 2025 FA22 will pass by Earth safely on Thursday 07:41 UTC (09:41 CEST), but it will come just over twice as far away as the Moon.
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The asteroid is between 130 and 290 metres across and was discovered by the Pan-STARRS 2 telescope in March 2025.
When the orbit of 2025 FA22 was calculated, there was thought to be a small probability it might hit Earth in 2089.
This, combined with its size, put it briefly at the top of the European Space Agency's asteroid risk list.
However, as was the case with asteroid 2024 YR4 earlier in 2025, an impact with Earth was eventually ruled out as astronomers carried out follow-up observations and refined its orbital trajectory.
A campaign to study 2022 FA22
Despite the asteroid posing no risk to Earth, astronomers will use the opportunity to study this enormous space rock as it whizzes by our planet.
The International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN) will observe 2025 FA22 as it makes its close pass.
IAWN's 2025 FA22 campaign is intended to test the network's "ability to measure the orbit and physical characteristics of a large asteroid passing relatively close to Earth, and to coordinate collaboration and information sharing amongst its members," the European Space Agency says.
This campaign is currently active and will be until the end of October 2025.
The European Space Agency's Near-Earth Object Coordination Centre will play an active role in the campaign.
Astronomers will measure the asteroid's position, motion and brightness – a study known as 'astrometry'.
And they will also examine how sunlight scatters off its surface, to learn more about its composition and texture – a study known as 'polarimetry'.
2025 FA22 poses no danger to Earth, but the study of asteroids like this can help inform how we might deflect any dangerous asteroids that do happen to be on a collision course with Earth.
Watch asteroid 2025 FA22 online
The Virtual Telescope Project is hosting a livestream of asteroid 2025 FA22's close pass, and you can watch it below.
