This is the 100th known asteroid to fly past Earth within 1 lunar distance (LD) since the start of the year and the 9th so far this month.
Asteroid 2025 RL2 was first observed at Kitt Peak-Bok, Arizona on September 13, 2025 — five days before its close approach to Earth.
The object belongs to the Aten group of asteroids, characterized by semi-major axes smaller than Earth’s (a
The close approach will take place at 08:57 UTC ±38 minutes at a speed of 26 km/s (93 600 km/h / 58 160 mph) relative to Earth.
If an object of this size were to enter Earth’s atmosphere, it could produce an airburst on the scale of the 2013 Chelyabinsk event. The Chelyabinsk meteor, estimated at 17–20 m (56–66 feet) in diameter, exploded with an energy of about 440–500 kilotons of TNT, injuring more than 1 500 people and damaging over 7 000 buildings.
With an estimated diameter between 17 and 37 m (56 and 121 feet), asteroid 2025 RL2 falls within the same size range and, if on the larger end, could release significantly greater energy depending on its exact size, composition, and entry angle.
While its size places it in the same range as the Chelyabinsk object, asteroid 2025 RL2 poses no impact risk during this approach. The current solution carries a condition code of 7 of 9, indicating limited precision due to the short observational arc, but even with this uncertainty the trajectory does not intersect Earth.
Higher condition codes are typical for newly discovered asteroids with only a short observation arc. As additional observations are made, the orbit of 2025 RL2 will be refined and the condition code is expected to decrease.
References:
1 Asteroid 2025 RL2 – Minor Planet Center – Accessed on September 16, 2025
2 Asteroid 2025 RL2 – NASA/CNEOS – Accessed on September 16, 2025