A newly discovered asteroid, named 2026 GD, made a close pass by Earth on the night of April 9, 2026, at a distance of approximately 250,000 kilometers, which is just over half the distance between our planet and the Moon.
The information was released by the portal Olhar Digital in its coverage of the event. Detected only three days before its approach, the asteroid traveled at a speed of 45,000 kilometers per hour, according to NASA data.
Although the distance is considered small in astronomical terms, there is no risk of impact with Earth. The European Space Agency (ESA) has included 2026 GD in its Risk List but clarified that the probability of collision is minimal, estimated at 1 in 124,378 for possible approaches between 2082 and 2124.
Experts point out that even in a hypothetical collision scenario, Earth’s atmosphere would act as a natural barrier, disintegrating most small objects before they reach the surface.
With a diameter of about 16 meters, the asteroid also passed close to the Moon, at a distance of 163,750 kilometers from its surface, around 9:12 PM on April 9, 2026. After this approach, 2026 GD continues its trajectory in an elliptical orbit of 644 days, crossing Mars’ orbit before heading back towards the Sun.
Its next notable encounter will be with Venus, scheduled for July 2031, at a distance equivalent to 25 times that which separates Earth from the Moon.
The 2026 GD is one of over 41,000 near-Earth asteroids under continuous monitoring by astronomers worldwide. This number is expected to grow with technological advances in space observation. An example is the Vera Rubin Observatory, located in Chile, which has already identified about two thousand new celestial bodies in the Solar System during its testing phase.
The expectation is that, once fully operational, the equipment will significantly enhance the capability to detect and track objects approaching the planet, contributing to space safety and the advancement of scientific knowledge.
Original published at O Cafezinho.