Space

How many asteroids pass closer to Earth than the Moon each year?

Astronomers know of 189 asteroid flybys closer than the Moon (about 384,000 km away) in 2025, up from about 20 a year in 2007 to 2009. Asteroids aren't passing more often: better sky surveys now spot many more of the small ones, most only a few meters across. The counts include flybys worked out for earlier years from asteroids found later.

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Source and date

Data as of
Published

The data

Year Known asteroid flybys closer than the Moon
2000 1
2001 2
2002 2
2003 5
2004 13
2005 7
2006 12
2007 18
2008 21
2009 20
2010 25
2011 32
2012 23
2013 24
2014 33
2015 27
2016 53
2017 58
2018 81
2019 86
2020 114
2021 160
2022 143
2023 115
2024 145
2025 189