9.8-Foot Asteroid Misses Earth by 300 Miles, Detected Post Flyby

A small asteroid about 9.8 feet wide, named 2025 TF, passed extremely close to Earth on October 1, flying just 300 miles above Antarctica, closer than the International Space Station's orbit. This near-miss went undetected until hours after the flyby, when it was spotted by the Catalina Sky Survey, highlighting ongoing challenges in early detection of small asteroids. The European Space Agency stated that objects of this size pose no significant danger as they typically burn up in the atmosphere, though they can cause fireballs or small meteorites. After the event, astronomers at ESA's Planetary Defence Office conducted observations to refine the asteroid's size and trajectory. NASA has noted that 2025 TF is an Apollo-type asteroid and expects it to return in 2087, while continuing efforts to improve monitoring of near-Earth objects despite the recent temporary communication pauses due to government shutdown. This close approach underscores the importance of advancing asteroid detection technologies to better anticipate potential threats in the future.