New house-sized asteroid to pass near Earth: Russians will be able to observe it in May

The recently discovered asteroid 2026 JH2 will be observable from Russia in the vicinity of the Ursa Major constellation as early as May 18. However, the celestial body will only be visible through large professional telescopes.

The object was discovered on May 10 by astronomers from five American observatories. According to experts, the asteroid's size ranges from 16 to 30 meters – roughly the size of a small house. It belongs to the "Apollo" class – a group of near-Earth asteroids that cross Earth's orbit.

According to Mikhail Maslov, an engineer at the Vega Observatory of Novosibirsk State University, until May 18, the asteroid will remain very dim and will only be visible through large telescopes. By the night of May 18-19, the object will approach Earth most closely – the distance will be about 94 thousand kilometers. This is approximately four times closer than the distance to the Moon.

However, just before its flyby, the asteroid will rapidly shift into the southern celestial hemisphere. Its brightness will increase, but at that moment, the object will mainly be observable by residents of the Southern Hemisphere using professional and large amateur telescopes.