According to the European Space Agency (ESA), 2025 TF was only 3 to 6 feet wide, small enough to burn up if it entered Earth’s atmosphere, but close enough to raise eyebrows.
“It passed well within the altitude of the International Space Station,” ESA noted.
ESA’s planetary defense overview:
👉 https://www.esa.int
Another Flyby—This Time Detected in Advance
Less than a day later, astronomers at Mount Lemmon Observatory detected a second object, 2025 TQ2, before it arrived. This asteroid passed about 3,014 miles above Canada, closer than many geostationary satellites.
Though still harmless, such proximity is rare.
“These are classified as exceptionally close approaches,” EarthSky reported.
Read more at EarthSky:
👉 https://earthsky.org
A Busy Month for Planetary Defense
NASA’s Catalina Sky Survey and follow-up observations by Las Cumbres Observatory played key roles in tracking both objects. Amateur astronomer Tony Dunn also noted that 10 asteroids passed closer than the Moon between Sept. 23 and 28 alone.
