A large asteroid, designated 424482 (2008 DG5), is expected to make a close approach to Earth tomorrow. The asteroid’s size is estimated to be between 310 and 690 meters (1,017 to 2,264 feet). According to data from spacereference.org, this places it among the largest 3% of known asteroids.

While the asteroid is substantial in size, it poses no threat to our planet. It will pass at a distance of 2.17 million miles (3.49 million kilometers), which is about nine times the average distance between the Earth and the Moon (238,855 miles or 384,400 km).

The European Space Agency (ESA) has characterized this event as “rare” due to the asteroid’s scale and relatively close approach, despite the safe distance.

According to international standards,any space object with a diameter exceeding 492 feet (150 meters) that crosses within 4.6 million miles (7.4 million kilometers) of Earth is classified as a “possibly dangerous object.” Asteroid 2008 DG5 falls into this category, although no collision risk exists.

Finding and Orbit of Asteroid 2008 DG5

Asteroid 2008 DG5 belongs to the Apollo Asteroid group, known for orbits that intersect Earth’s path around the sun. It completes a full orbit around the sun approximately every 514 Earth days. The asteroid was initially discovered in 2008 by astronomers at the Catalina Sky Survey, an observatory in Arizona under NASA’s near-Earth object observation program.

The European Space Agency (ESA) said the event was “rare” because the asteroid scale and the relatively close approach.

The next close approach of 2008 DG5 is projected to occur in 2032.

Potential Impact Scenarios

Although 2008 DG5 will safely pass by Earth, astronomers frequently discuss the potential consequences of similar-sized objects entering our atmosphere. An asteroid of this magnitude could cause important regional damage, potentially generating shock waves, fires, or tsunamis, depending on the impact location.

As an example, the 1908 Tunguska event, caused by an asteroid only about 130 feet (40 meters) wide, flattened over 2,000 square kilometers of Siberian forest. At the extreme end, the Chicxulub impact, believed to have led to the extinction of the dinosaurs, involved an asteroid estimated to be 10 to 15 kilometers in diameter.

Earlier this year, asteroid 2024 YR4 made headlines when initial predictions indicated a potential collision on December 22, 2032. This object,with a diameter of approximately 130 to 300 feet (comparable to the Statue of Liberty),initially had a 3.1% chance of impact, the highest ever recorded for an asteroid of that size.

The Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) in Chile first detected 2024 YR4 on December 27, 2024, sparking widespread concern. However, further analysis by NASA’s center for near-Earth object studies on February 24, 2025, revised the impact probability to zero.