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A cosmic encounter of a rare sort is about to occur as asteroid 2025 FA22 is to pass gently over Earth in September, which is being monitored by Nasa's Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) and JPL.
Earlier this year, discovered by the Pan-STARRS 2 Survey in Hawaii, FA22 has drawn international and Indian public interest not only because of its close pass, but because of its gigantic size. It measures between 120 to 280 meters wide.
To place this into context, India's tallest brick minaret, the well-known Qutub Minar of Delhi, stands at around 73 meters tall. For comparison, FA22 on its lowest estimate stands nearly twice as high as Qutub Minar. On its higher estimate, the asteroid would tower above the monument almost four times, a genuine giant in cosmic terms.
FA22 has a moderately elongated, slightly inclined orbit around the sun with an orbital period of about 1.85 years. On September 18, 2025, the asteroid will fly by Earth at a distance of approximately 8,42,000 kilometres, which is just a bit more than double the lunar distance and close enough for planetary scientists and amateur astronomers to organize global observing campaigns.
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International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN) associations will take advantage of this chance to better define FA22's orbit and analyze its makeup, employing radar as well as high-powered optical telescopes.
Although the designation as a potentially hazardous asteroid has piqued public interest, professionals assure that FA22 is not headed in the direction of colliding with Earth in the foreseeable future.
Initial risk assessments assigned it a low Torino Scale rating, but subsequent data soon eliminated any threat of an immediate collision. Its subsequent close call, more than a century in the future, is similarly estimated to be safely outside the Moon's orbit.
Asteroids of this size and proximity come close to our planet only once or twice a decade, making FA22 a precious scientific target. The heavy scrutiny that it will be given during this flyby will enhance future impact modeling and further knowledge about such objects.
