Asteroid 2025 YE2 flew past Earth at 0.24 LD on December 18, 2025
Asteroid 2025 YE2 flew past Earth at its closest approach of 0.24 lunar distances (LD) / 0.00061 AU, which is approximately 91 280 km (56 742 miles) from the center of Earth. The encounter occurred at 15:21 UTC on December 18, 2025, with the asteroid traveling at a relative velocity of about 8.83 km/s.
Based on its absolute magnitude (H) of 27.584, the estimated size of asteroid 2025 YE2 falls in the range of approximately 10 to 24 m (33 to 79 feet). The precise size estimation depends on its albedo, which has not yet been measured.
Asteroid 2025 YE2 belongs to the Apollo group of near-Earth objects. Its orbit is characterized by an eccentricity of 0.402, a semi-major axis of 1.53 AU, and a perihelion distance of 0.919 AU. The inclination of its orbit is 4.01 degrees, which is typical for Apollo-class asteroids. These parameters indicate a moderately eccentric, slightly inclined path that brings the asteroid across Earth’s orbital region.
No data for surface reflectivity (albedo) is currently available for 2025 YE2, so the surface composition remains undetermined. This object is not classified as potentially hazardous based on current criteria.
Asteroid 2025 YE2 was observed over a brief arc, with first and last observations recorded between December 19 and December 20, 2025, resulting in a 1-day observation window. The current orbit solution carries a condition code of 7, which indicates the trajectory is still uncertain or preliminary and could be refined as additional observations are obtained.
Several other near-Earth objects also passed within 1 lunar distance around this period. Asteroid 2025 XZ4 flew past Earth at 0.93 LD (356 000 km / 221 209 miles) at 16:07 UTC on December 13, 2025. Asteroid 2025 XF1 approached at 0.82 LD (314 000 km / 195 114 miles) at 00:17 UTC on December 13, 2025. Asteroid 2025 XZ3 passed at 0.36 LD (138 000 km / 85 749 miles) at 09:16 UTC on December 12, 2025. Asteroid 2025 XB1 made its closest approach at 0.34 LD (130 000 km / 80 778 miles) at 20:18 UTC on December 10, 2025. These objects were all significantly smaller than 2025 YE2 based on their estimated magnitudes.