Asteroid 2026 JH2 Flies Past Earth at Dawn on Tuesday, Much Dimmer than Pluto

A massive space rock recently detected passed near Earth on Tuesday morning, 19 May 2026, at 05:00 WIB. The asteroid, coded 2026 JH2, has dimensions comparable to the meteor that triggered the deadly explosion in Russia years ago. However, the asteroid approaching Earth at dawn could not be seen by humans, as it was 16 times fainter than Pluto. This is the same monitoring team that detected the very bright Comet Lemmon last year. To date, astronomers worldwide have collected 124 separate observations to lock in its orbital path. Based on tracking data, 2026 JH2 is part of the Apollo class of Near-Earth Asteroids (NEAs), meaning its orbit crosses the Earth’s orbit and extends to the main asteroid belt. According to amateur astronomer Marufin Sudibyo of the Institute of Ecliptic Equivalence, the asteroid orbits the Sun with a period of 3.7 years. Although its orbital inclination is small at only 6 degrees, its orbital eccentricity is quite large at 0.5. This characteristic makes 2026 JH2’s orbit inherently unstable. ‘Asteroid 2026 JH2 orbits the Sun with a 3.7-year period with an orbital inclination of only 6 degrees but with a sufficiently large eccentricity (i.e., 0.5), making its orbit naturally unstable,’ Marufin told Kompas.com, Tuesday (19/5/2026). In terms of size, early data initially estimated its length to be that of a blue whale (35 metres). However, updated tracking data shows its diameter around 20 metres. This size is comparable to the unnamed asteroid that streaked through Earth’s atmosphere above Siberia, Russia, on 13 February 2013 in the legendary event known as the Chelyabinsk event. While passing near Earth on Tuesday dawn, the asteroid was above the southern sky region of Africa. Its closest approach distance was recorded at 906,000 kilometres from Earth’s surface. Marufin emphasised that this trajectory remains at a safe distance and does not threaten Earth’s safety.