Lead: On Sept. 3, 2025 two near-Earth asteroids — 2025 QV5 and 2025 QD8 — will make close approaches to Earth; both are expected to pose no impact threat but will be monitored and observed by scientists.
Key Takeaways
- 2025 QV5 is roughly 35 feet (about the length of a small bus) and will pass about 500,000 miles from Earth tomorrow evening.
- 2025 QD8 is roughly 71 feet (about the size of an airplane) and is forecast to come within 136,000 miles at 10:57 a.m. EST on Sept. 3, 2025.
- QV5 travels at over 13,900 mph; QD8 at about 28,600 mph, per NASA resources.
- Neither object meets the agency’s size/distance thresholds for a potential hazard; most material from such small objects would burn up in the atmosphere.
- Observers can follow live coverage of the QD8 flyby via The Virtual Telescope Project; scientists will use the encounters to refine orbits and physical data.
- QV5 completes an orbit of the Sun every 359.4 days and is predicted to return near Earth multiple times; its next similarly close approach is projected on Sept. 4, 2125.
Verified Facts
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and CNEOS list two scheduled close approaches on Sept. 3, 2025: asteroid 2025 QV5 and asteroid 2025 QD8. Published approach parameters show QV5 at approximately 500,000 miles from Earth and QD8 at approximately 136,000 miles.
Measured and reported values: QV5 diameter ~35 feet, speed >13,900 mph; QD8 diameter ~71 feet, speed ~28,600 mph. These sizes place both objects well below the reported ‘potentially hazardous’ size threshold referenced by public summaries (objects larger than roughly 460 feet are commonly singled out in outreach materials).
QV5 orbits the Sun in about 359.4 days, moving between the orbits of Venus and Earth. Models project future return visits, including passages in 2026 and 2027 and a farther approach around Sept. 4, 2125 at roughly 830,000 miles.
| Name | Diameter | Closest Reported Approach | Speed | Notable Time (EST) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 QV5 | ~35 ft | ~500,000 miles | >13,900 mph | Evening, Sept. 3, 2025 |
| 2025 QD8 | ~71 ft | ~136,000 miles | ~28,600 mph | 10:57 a.m. EST, Sept. 3, 2025 |
Context & Impact
Near-Earth objects (NEOs) of this size are scientifically useful but generally not dangerous to Earth’s surface. Most bodies under ~100 feet break apart in the atmosphere, producing meteors and airbursts rather than ground impacts.
These flybys give astronomers opportunities to refine orbital elements, constrain sizes and shapes, and test radar and optical tracking methods. Improved tracking reduces uncertainty for future close approaches decades or centuries ahead.
- Scientific value: refine orbit and physical properties.
- Public engagement: live streams and observatory views increase awareness of planetary defense work.
- Operational value: updates to tracking help improve forecasts for later returns.
Official Statements
NASA/JPL: Observations indicate these objects will pass safely, and ongoing monitoring will refine their orbits.
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory / CNEOS
Unconfirmed
- Exact visibility from any given location depends on local weather and viewing conditions; reported viewer times may vary by source.
- Minor updates to close-approach distance and timing can occur as additional observations are incorporated into orbital solutions.
Bottom Line
Both 2025 QV5 and 2025 QD8 will pass well outside the range of immediate danger on Sept. 3, 2025. They present useful observation opportunities for astronomers and a reminder of the routine work of tracking near-Earth objects.