© NASA / PL-Caltech/T
MOSCOW – A celestial object with an estimated diameter of two meters recently executed a remarkably close pass by Earth, traversing a region of space at an altitude akin to that of operational navigation satellites. This significant astronomical event was announced by experts at the Solar Astronomy Laboratory, a division of the Space Research Institute (IKI) under the Russian Academy of Sciences.
According to details shared via the laboratory`s Telegram channel, the asteroid, designated 2025 SU4, made its closest approach on Wednesday, September 24th, at 11:30 AM Moscow time. It flew within a mere 20,000 kilometers of our planet, a distance notably similar to the orbital paths maintained by GLONASS and GPS satellite constellations.
Intriguingly, the discovery of this particular cosmic body occurred less than 24 hours prior to its maximum proximity to Earth. While scientific analysis confirmed that the asteroid posed no direct threat or danger to our planet, its swift and unheralded flyby serves as a pertinent reminder of the substantial population of small celestial bodies residing within the inner solar system, and their potential to appear in Earth’s vicinity with little advanced warning.
Further analysis by the scientists revealed that this asteroid is a member of the Aten family. This group currently encompasses approximately 3,000 celestial objects, of which about 200 are presently classified as potentially hazardous asteroids due to their orbital characteristics.
Rupert Blackwood 
Clement Ashworth