Humpback whale-sized asteroid 2026 RL10
2.4 LD · ~16 m
Drawn to scale.
Silhouette: T. Michael Keesey, PhyloPic (PDM)
2026 RL10 passes about 2.4× the distance to the Moon from Earth (914,872 km). It is 9–28 m across (estimated). If a rock this size hit Earth, the result would be an airburst — an explosion high in the atmosphere that can break windows and cause injuries near the blast, but nothing regionally destructive. Astronomers spot one this size passing within 5× the Moon's distance about 160 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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