Overview
- Asteroid 2025 TF, roughly 1–3 meters wide, flew about 428 kilometers above Antarctica on Oct. 1 at an altitude comparable to the International Space Station.
- The object was first spotted hours after closest approach by the Catalina Sky Survey, with rapid follow-ups by ESA and partner observatories refining its path to within seconds.
- Records indicate it was the second closest observed non‑impacting asteroid pass, trailing only 2020 VT4 in 2020.
- Due to its small size, it posed no significant hazard to Earth and would likely have produced only a fireball; JPL projects its next close approach in April 2087.
- A day later, separate asteroid 2025 TQ2 passed at about 4,851 kilometers over Canada, underscoring frequent close approaches and the need to strengthen early-warning for satellites.