A large asteroid named 1997 NC1 will pass safely near Earth on June 27, 2026 , giving astronomers a rare chance to study a massive space rock without any threat to our planet. The asteroid, estimated to be about 0.6 miles (1 kilometer) wide , is drawing attention because of its size and its classification as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid .
The upcoming asteroid flyby may sound alarming, especially after memories of the 2013 Chelyabinsk meteor event , when a smaller object exploded above Russia and injured more than 1,000 people. But 1997 NC1 will travel far beyond the danger zone, passing Earth at around 1.5 million miles (2.4 million kilometers) — nearly seven times the average distance between Earth and the Moon.
