Topline
An unusually large near-Earth asteroid will make a close but safe approach to Earth this weekend, giving skywatchers a rare chance to follow a mile-wide object as it moves through space near our planet. Asteroid (152637) 1997 NC1 will pass closest to Earth on Saturday, June 27, 2026, coming within about 1.6 million miles (2.6 million kilometers), or almost seven times the average distance to the moon. The encounter will be entirely safe, but the asteroid’s size and brightness make it unusual.
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Why This Rare Asteroid Flyby Is Getting Attention
1997 NC1 could be about five times the height of the Eiffel Tower, placing it among the larger near-Earth objects to make a relatively close pass by Earth. An asteroid of this size comes this close to Earth only roughly once every decade, making this weekend’s flyby a rare observing opportunity rather than a routine close approach. ESA lists 1997 NC1’s previous close encounter as June 29, 1993, and its next as June 27, 2088.
How To Watch Asteroid 1997 NC1 Online
The easiest way to see asteroid 1997 NC1 will be online. The Virtual Telescope Project will show the asteroid live on Friday, June 26, and Saturday, June 27, with both broadcasts beginning at 23:00 UTC (7 p.m. EDT). The online observations will feature live telescope views and commentary from astrophysicist Gianluca Masi, founder and director of the project.
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Can You See Asteroid 1997 NC1 With A Telescope?
Some observers may also be able to see the asteroid directly with suitable equipment. ESA lists the asteroid’s peak brightness at around magnitude 10, saying it is theoretically observable with small telescopes or even large binoculars under dark skies, although the bright nearby “Strawberry Moon” — which turns full on Monday, June 29 — may interfere.
“The upcoming flyby of (152637) 1997 NC1 will be truly remarkable”, said Masi in an email. “People will have the opportunity to see it visually through a small telescope or even good binoculars, particularly when it will peak in brightness on 28 June at 00:00 UTC, reaching magnitude 10.1.” He said a modest 4-inch, or 100 mm, telescope should show the asteroid as it travels across the field of view. At the time of the flyby, it is expected to move across the stars at about 40 arcseconds per minute, making its motion relatively easy to notice through a telescope.
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