Small asteroid 2026 JN4 entered Earth’s atmosphere on May 15, 2026

Small asteroid 2026 JN4 entered Earth’s atmosphere at 13:44 UTC on May 15, 2026. The nominal CNEOS geocentric close-approach solution placed the object inside Earth’s mean radius, indicating atmospheric entry rather than a flyby. The nominal geocentric distance was 0.01 LD / 0.0000137 AU (2 045 km / 1 271 miles) from Earth’s center, which is below Earth’s mean radius of 6 371 km (3 959 miles).

Due to its absolute magnitude (H) of 33.1, the object is estimated to be on the order of 0.6 m to 1.4 m (2 to 4.6 feet) in diameter. The nominal relative velocity in the CNEOS solution was 23.1 km/s (14.4 mi/s). No supplied data confirms a ground impact, meteorite recovery, or observed fireball. Meter-scale asteroids of this size and velocity typically disintegrate high in the atmosphere.

Based on SBDB orbital data, 2026 JN4 is classified as an Apollo-type near-Earth asteroid. Its orbital elements include an eccentricity of 0.394, a semi-major axis of 1.42 AU, a perihelion distance of 0.864 AU, and an inclination of 12.2 degrees. These values place it among the more eccentric and moderately inclined near-Earth objects.

The asteroid is not classified as potentially hazardous due to its small size and perihelion distance.

2026 JN4 was observed over a single day, with the first and last observations both on May 15, 2026. The current orbit solution carries a condition code of 9, indicating that its trajectory is still highly uncertain and may be refined as additional observations or updated orbital solutions become available.

Other objects in the current 1 LD watchlist include 2026 JH2, which will fly past Earth at 0.24 LD at 21:58 UTC on May 18, 2026. The object is estimated at 15 m to 33 m (49 to 108 feet) in diameter. In comparison, 2026 JV3 flew past Earth at 0.13 LD at 22:59 UTC on May 14, 2026 with an estimated diameter of 2.2 m to 4.8 m (7.2 to 15.7 feet).