Asteroid 1997 NC1 to Pass Near Earth Safely on June 27

The European Space Agency (ESA) announced that asteroid (152637) 1997 NC1, a rocky object 750–1,650 metres across, will approach Earth on Saturday 27 June. Its closest approach will be about 2.56 million kilometres (≈6.6 times the Earth‑Moon distance) at 13:14 CET, traveling at roughly 8.9 km per second. ESA confirmed the probability of impact is zero, making the event a safe observation opportunity.

The asteroid can be seen with small telescopes or powerful binoculars, especially from clear‑sky locations in the northern hemisphere, though a bright Moon may hinder visibility at the moment of closest approach. ESA’s Planetary Defense office noted that such close passes of objects this size occur only every few years, underscoring the rarity of the event. Impacts from larger asteroids are extremely rare, while smaller rocks more commonly enter Earth’s atmosphere.

The passage offers a chance for amateur astronomers worldwide to observe a substantial near‑Earth object and highlights ongoing planetary‑defence monitoring by ESA.