Close approach

Stegosaurus-sized asteroid 2026 OD3

0.6 LD · ~10 m

0.6 LD
from Earth — inside the Moon's orbit
226,796 km
distance from Earth’s center
6–17 m
estimated diameter
Stegosaurus
roughly the size of
2026 OD3 · ~10 mStegosaurus · 9 m long
10 m

Drawn to scale.

Silhouette: Olivia Binfield, PhyloPic (CC0)

2026 OD3 passes inside the Moon's orbit, about 226,796 km from Earth's centre (0.6× the distance to the Moon). It is 6–17 m across (estimated). If a rock this size hit Earth, it would burn up as a bright fireball high in the atmosphere; at most, small meteorites reach the ground. Astronomers spot one this size passing inside the Moon's orbit about 100 times a year, and many more pass unseen. This is a routine close approach with no known impact risk.

For the background, read Impact risk in Asteroids.

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