00:00A massive asteroid nearly the size of a New York City skyscraper is said to make a close
00:24but harmless flyby off-Earth in the early hours of September 18, space agencies have confirmed.
00:33Officially named 2025 FA22, the asteroid will whiz past our planet at a staggering speed of more than 24,000 miles per hour,
00:46providing scientists with a rare opportunity to study a large space rock up close.
00:52Discovered in March 2025 by astronomers using a specialised telescope in Hawaii,
00:59asteroid 2025 FA22 quickly caught the attention of both NASA and the European Space Agency
01:07due to its massive size and initial trajectory.
01:12The rock measures between 427 and 951 feet wide,
01:17placing it on the same scale as some of the world's tallest buildings.
01:24Due to its size and the proximity of its projected flyby,
01:28the asteroid was briefly placed on ESA's watchlist of potentially dangerous space objects.
01:35However, new measurements and refined calculations have confirmed
01:40that 2025 FA22 poses no immediate threats to Earth.
01:45The object has since been removed from ESA's risk table.
01:52The asteroid will make its closest approach at approximately 3.40 a.m. ET or 1.10 p.m. IST on September 18.
02:01While it will not be visible to the naked eye,
02:04sky watchers with powerful telescopes or binoculars might be able to catch a faint dot moving across the stars.
02:14NASA and ESA say the asteroid will not return near Earth again until 2089 and 2173.
02:22Though harmless this time, scientists emphasise that an asteroid of this size could cause devastating damage
02:30if it ever collided with Earth.
02:33A direct impact could flatten a major city, trigger massive fires and potentially cause tsunamis depending on the impact location.
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