**Astronomers Place Gherkin-Sized Asteroid High on Earth Threat-List**
The European Space Agency (ESA) has added a substantial new asteroid to the roster of near-Earth objects being closely monitored, ranking it as one of Earth’s top three risks among thousands of known hazards. Identified as 2025 FA22, this asteroid spans an estimated 200 metres (656 feet) in diameter—equivalent in height to The Gherkin skyscraper in London or New York’s Trump Tower. While its trajectory does not currently pose a significant danger, its size and relative proximity have made it a focus of scientific attention.
2025 FA22 was detected on 29 March by the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System 2 (Pan-STARRS 2) located in Hawaii, a facility well-known for its role in tracking cosmic objects. According to astronomers, this newly discovered asteroid is set to make its closest approach to Earth on 19 September 2089. A precursor flyby will also occur on 18 September 2025, providing a valuable opportunity for researchers to refine predictions about its path and composition.
The risk assessment for 2025 FA22 places it with a score above -3 on the Palermo Technical Impact Hazard Scale, a tool used to evaluate the likelihood and potential consequences of an asteroid or comet impact. Such a score translates to “not currently concerning,” and according to the Torino Scale, it hovers around level 1, indicating “no cause for concern” at this time. Nonetheless, being third on ESA’s watchlist out of 1,782 monitored objects speaks volumes about its potential to capture the attention of both astronomers and the public.
The ESA’s watchlist is a rolling catalogue of celestial objects whose orbits are expected to bring them in relatively close proximity to our planet. 2025 FA22 currently sits behind two other objects: 2023 VD3, expected to pass between 2034 and 2098; and 2008 JL3, with a possible approach window stretching from 2027 to 2122. None of these asteroids are considered likely to collide with Earth based on current projections, yet their sheer size or unexplored trajectories warrant continued observation.
Asteroid detection and monitoring have become critical aspects of planetary defence in recent years, with agencies around the world increasing their efforts to catalogue and study potential threats. This intensified vigilance stems partially from high-profile objects like Apophis (99942 Apophis), a 340-metre body discovered in 2004. At one point, calculations suggested it had a 2.7% chance of impacting Earth in 2029—an alarming statistic for an asteroid of its size. The concern was significant enough that it reached level 4 on the Torino scale, the highest ever assigned, drawing attention not only from scientists but also civil authorities, before reassessments confirmed it poses no danger during its upcoming close pass.
Next in line for celestial headlines was 2024 YR4, which caused a stir with early risk assessments suggesting a 3.1% chance of striking Earth on 22 December 2032. This raised initial alarms given the object’s size, ranging between 40 and 100 metres. As has become common in asteroid tracking, more precise measurements soon reduced its impact likelihood to near zero, and it has since been removed from the risk register.
The case of 2025 FA22 mirrors these earlier alarms in that, while its size is considerable, the data so far have not indicated a credible collision risk. Yet with ongoing advances in asteroid monitoring technology and international cooperation, opportunities to improve predictions are multiplying. Experts point out that close passes, like the one expected in 2025, are essential for gathering more information—data that can significantly decrease uncertainties about potential future threats.
Global efforts continue to focus on identifying, tracking, and analysing near-Earth objects, as the threat they pose may be remote but never entirely dismissable. As more is learned about FA22, missions and observation campaigns planned for its upcoming flyby will help clarify whether its place in the risk table remains justified or, as with previous objects, can be safely downgraded.
For now, 2025 FA22 serves as a timely reminder of humanity’s vulnerability to the whims of the cosmos and the importance of international collaboration in planetary defence initiatives. The continuing diligence in catalogue and risk analysis ensures that any genuine threat receives the swift and serious attention it deserves, safeguarding our planet for generations to come.