Humanity has made significant progress in monitoring near-Earth space. Currently, astronomers assure us that none of the known large asteroids poses a threat to Earth for at least the next 100 years. Object 152637 (1997 NC1) is no exception. It was discovered in 1997 through NASA’s NEAT program. Its classification as an Aten-class asteroid means that its orbit intersects with Earth’s, passing between Earth and Venus. However, trajectory calculations guarantee a completely safe flyby, albeit a fairly close one by cosmic standards.
Close, but safe
On June 27, 2026, the space traveler will pass within 0.01715 AU of Earth. That is about 2.5 million km, which is equivalent to 6.5 times the distance to the Moon. This distance fascinates scientists, while remaining completely safe for people on Earth.
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