NASA says a bus-sized asteroid called 2026 JA1 will speed past Earth on May 13, 2026, coming no closer than 973651km, a distance more than twice the gap to the Moon. There is no danger from the flyby.
Scientists are tracking 2026 JA1 closely anyway, part of the routine work of keeping watch on near-Earth objects and making sure the orbit is understood as precisely as possible. People will not be able to spot the asteroid with their eyes because it is too small and dim, though professional telescopes may catch its movement if conditions are right.
The close pass matters because near misses give astronomers a chance to sharpen their tracking skills and better understand how space rocks move through the solar system. NASA keeps tabs on objects like JA1 as part of its effort to protect Earth, and this one will serve as another test of that watchkeeping when it slips by on May 13.
For observers on the ground, the story is straightforward: 2026 JA1 is on its way, it will pass safely, and the only thing scientists need to do now is keep watching.
