On August 9 at 08:12 Kyiv time, a rocky mass the size of a 250-story skyscraper will fly past Earth at a speed exceeding 58,000 km/h. Asteroid 2000 YV137, with a diameter of 730–750 meters, is officially classified by NASA as a "potentially hazardous object." It sounds alarming — but this case perfectly explains why such labels deserve careful reading.
What "hazardous" really means
The status of a potentially hazardous object is assigned automatically — based on formal criteria of size and orbital distance from Earth. It has no connection to the actual risk of collision on any specific date. It is more of an administrative category for monitoring than a forecast of catastrophe.
In the case of 2000 YV137, the trajectory has been studied so well that JPL specialists confidently state the closest approach distance — 5.02 million kilometers. This is approximately 13 times farther than the Moon. There is no chance of orbital intersection this time.
An asteroid studied longer than some planets
The object was discovered on December 31, 2000 in Hawaii as part of the NEAT program. Over 25 years of observations, astronomers have refined the trajectory so much that they can forecast close approaches a decade ahead — in 2066, 2073, 2113.
The asteroid belongs to the Apollo group — bodies whose orbits intersect Earth's orbit. Such objects are of theoretical interest to planetary defense, although the vast majority of them will never approach a dangerous distance.
In March 2026, NASA officially changed this asteroid's orbit around the Sun for the first time — a refinement of calculations, not a physical impact on the object.
You won't be able to see it — and that's normal
Despite its impressive size, the asteroid cannot be seen with the naked eye: a telescope, precise coordinates, and clear skies are needed. For comparison, the previous close approach in 2019 occurred at a distance of over 24 million km, so this year's flyby is much closer, but still remains in a completely safe zone.
The main question is not whether 2000 YV137 threatens Earth now — the answer here is unequivocal. The more interesting question is: are the existing monitoring systems sufficient to confidently predict the trajectories of smaller objects discovered just days before possible close approaches?
