Asteroid 2026 JH2, discovered on May 10 by astronomers at five observatories in the USA, is approaching Earth. This Apollo-class celestial body is estimated to be between 16 and 30 meters in size. This was reported by Ixbt.com reports .
On May 18, the asteroid will pass through the Ursa Major constellation. Although it can be observed from Russia, the object's magnitude of 17–18 means it can only be seen with professional telescopes.
According to Mikhail Maslov, an engineer at the Vega Observatory of Novosibirsk State University, the asteroid will shift sharply to the southern celestial hemisphere on the night of May 18–19. It will pass at its closest distance to Earth, about 94,000 kilometers—four times closer than the Moon.
At the time of closest approach, the asteroid's brightness may increase to a magnitude of 12–13, but it will no longer be visible from northern latitudes. Therefore, the favorable observation window for observers in Russia is limited to a few hours.
After this period, the celestial body will head rapidly south. Subsequently, it will only be observable via large amateur and professional telescopes in the Southern Hemisphere.
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