Bus-Sized Asteroid Buzzes Earth Just Days After Discovery

On March 12, 2026, a small asteroid estimated at 30-45 feet (9-14 meters) in diameter sailed past Earth at a distance of roughly 120,000 miles (193,000 km) — about half the distance to the Moon. The object was discovered only three days prior by a ground-based survey telescope.

Why We Didn't See It Sooner

Small asteroids in this size range are extremely difficult to detect because they reflect very little sunlight. Current survey telescopes are optimized for finding larger, potentially civilization-ending objects. Asteroids under 50 meters often go undetected until they're close to Earth, which is exactly what happened here.

Was Earth in Danger?

At 30-45 feet across, this asteroid would not have caused widespread destruction even if it had entered Earth's atmosphere. Objects this size typically break apart in the upper atmosphere, potentially producing a bright fireball and sonic boom similar to the 2013 Chelyabinsk event in Russia — dramatic but not catastrophic.

The Detection Gap

This event underscores a persistent gap in our planetary defense infrastructure. While NASA's upcoming NEO Surveyor space telescope (planned for late 2027) will dramatically improve our ability to detect small asteroids, we currently lack comprehensive coverage for objects under 140 meters in diameter.

Track NEOs on SpaceRadar

You can monitor all known near-Earth asteroids and their closest approach dates on our Asteroid Tracker page, updated daily with the latest data from NASA's Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS).