A must-see asteroid flyby will unfold this week as near-Earth asteroid 2025 QD8 passes safely within Earth–Moon distance on Wednesday, Sept. 3, at a nominal 135,465 miles (218,009 kilometers) from Earth—about 57% of the average lunar distance [1]. The encounter is being broadcast live for free by the Virtual Telescope Project, beginning Tuesday, Sept. 2, at 23:00 UTC (7 p.m. ET), with real-time telescope views and expert commentary [2]. The closest approach is predicted for 10:57 a.m. ET (14:57 UTC) on Sept. 3, according to current JPL/NASA solutions [1].

Key Takeaways

– Shows 2025 QD8 passing 135,465 miles (218,009 km) from Earth—about 57% of the Earth–Moon distance—at 10:57 a.m. ET Sept. 3 [1].
– Reveals free livestream begins 23:00 UTC Sept. 2 (7 p.m. ET), hosted by Italy’s Virtual Telescope Project with real-time commentary [2].
– Demonstrates asteroid’s estimated diameter spans 17–38 meters (55–124 feet), roughly the size of a commercial jet, traveling near 28,000 mph [1].
– Indicates approach distance equals about 0.568 lunar distances, with published closest-approach times differing by 8 minutes (14:57–15:05 UTC) due to solution updates [2][5].
– Suggests no impact threat: NASA/JPL lists 2025 QD8 as a routine near‑Earth object flyby outside hazard thresholds for size and proximity [1][4].

How to watch the asteroid flyby live

The Virtual Telescope Project will host a free, public webcast starting at 23:00 UTC on Sept. 2 (7 p.m. ET), carrying live telescope imagery of asteroid 2025 QD8 as it approaches Earth [2]. Based in Manciano, Italy, the team regularly provides real-time tracking, context on the object’s orbit, and live commentary from astronomers to explain what viewers are seeing on-screen [3]. Space.com plans to carry the livestream feed so global audiences can follow the event without specialized equipment at home [1]. The stream will cover the run-up to closest approach and continue as observing conditions permit, offering a guided experience around a safe and scientifically valuable close pass [2].

Trajectory, timing, and distance: what the numbers show

Current solutions place 2025 QD8’s closest approach at 14:57 UTC on Sept. 3—10:57 a.m. Eastern Time—at a nominal distance of 218,009 km (135,465 miles) [1]. That separation is about 57% of the Earth–Moon average distance, keeping the asteroid well outside the lunar orbit while still qualifying as a near-Earth close approach of public interest [1]. For context, NASA’s Asteroid Watch dashboard pegs the mean Earth–Moon distance at roughly 239,000 miles, illustrating how this flyby equates to a little over half that span [4]. Some listings quantify the pass as 0.568 lunar distances (LD), a standard unit for near-Earth encounters used by observatories and watch services [5]. Times reported by public trackers vary slightly because orbit solutions are updated continuously; The Watchers currently notes a closest approach near 15:05 UTC, only eight minutes later than the JPL/NASA solution cited by Space.com and the Virtual Telescope Project [5][2]. Such minute differences are common in the lead-up to a close pass as newly processed astrometry refines the fit of the trajectory model [4].

Size, speed, and safety profile of 2025 QD8

Asteroid 2025 QD8 is estimated to be 17–38 meters (55–124 feet) across—comparable to the wingspan of a commercial jet—based on its observed brightness and typical reflectivity assumptions applied by JPL [1]. It is moving at roughly 28,000 mph relative to Earth, a speed consistent with small near-Earth objects on Earth-crossing or Earth-approaching orbits [1]. According to NASA/JPL, this object does not pose an impact threat; it will pass safely within the Earth–Moon distance and is not being treated as a hazardous object given its modest size and the geometry of this approach [1]. The Asteroid Watch dashboard provides broad context that small NEOs in the tens-of-meters class are tracked routinely and, at distances like this, are not categorized as an immediate risk to Earth [4]. While close in astronomical terms, the pass remains far beyond satellite orbits used for crewed spacecraft and far outside any regime of atmospheric interaction [1].

Why close-approach times can differ by minutes

When a newly cataloged near-Earth object makes a close pass, multiple ephemerides are published from independent systems drawing on the same underlying astrometry but updated at slightly different cadences [4]. As observatories add new measurements, the orbit solution is refined and the predicted time and distance of closest approach can shift by minutes, particularly for smaller objects observed over comparatively short arcs [4]. The Virtual Telescope Project cites the latest NASA/JPL data for its public broadcast and lists the closest approach at 14:57 UTC, while other trackers such as The Watchers currently display a time near 15:05 UTC, reflecting the expected uncertainty window as solutions converge [2][5]. This 8‑minute spread is normal and will continue narrowing as timing approaches, with the final observed time often landing very close to the best-fit prediction published hours earlier [5].

What the livestream will actually show

Viewers should expect a tiny moving point of light drifting against a stable star field as 2025 QD8 approaches and recedes, with the asteroid’s motion revealed over successive exposures [2]. The Virtual Telescope Project typically adjusts exposure lengths and tracking rates so the asteroid is clearly visible as either a dot moving against pinpoint stars or, conversely, stationary with star trails—depending on the configuration chosen for public viewing [2]. In advance of the broadcast, the team published an image captured on Aug. 30, a 300‑second exposure obtained when 2025 QD8 was still about 3.9 million kilometers away, demonstrating how the asteroid is isolated and identified in professional images [3]. Streaming from Manciano, Italy, the project’s telescopes and mounts are optimized for live tracking of near-Earth objects, and their commentary will place the motion, timing, and changing geometry of the approach into context for non-specialists [3].

How astronomers measured 2025 QD8 ahead of closest pass

Public astronomers and professional observers coordinate through international networks to obtain positional measurements (astrometry) of NEOs like 2025 QD8, feeding updated coordinates into orbit-determination software maintained by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory [4]. The Virtual Telescope Project imaged the asteroid on Aug. 30 from Italy, reporting the target at roughly 3.9 million km and demonstrating that the object could be acquired and tracked days before the flyby, improving the certainty of the closest-approach forecast [3]. For the livestream and reported timings, the Virtual Telescope references NASA/JPL orbital solutions that compute the nominal closest-approach distance of about 218,000 km at 14:57 UTC on Sept. 3 [2]. These measurements, combined with brightness-based diameter estimates, yield the working size range of 17–38 meters, which underpins the “commercial jet” comparison widely used in public-facing coverage [1]. Continued observations during and after the pass provide additional data to refine the orbit for future approaches and to reduce uncertainty metrics listed on NASA’s public dashboards [4].

The numbers behind the distance: lunar-dimension context

The “within Earth–Moon distance” headline metric is more informative when quantified. Space.com lists the asteroid’s miss distance at 135,465 miles (218,009 km), which equates to about 57% of the typical 239,000‑mile Earth–Moon span cited by JPL’s Asteroid Watch [1][4]. Presenting the distance as 0.568 LD (lunar distances) is standard shorthand among planetary defense groups, emphasizing how the approach is closer than the Moon but still comfortably distant on Solar System scales [5]. Because lunar distance itself fluctuates by several thousand miles depending on the Moon’s position in its elliptical orbit, the LD fraction is paired with the absolute number to give both relative and concrete context to the pass [4]. Together, these values help viewers gauge the scale of the event without ambiguity about whether the asteroid’s path intersects any Earth-orbiting or lunar regions of concern [1].

Risk assessment and routine monitoring

NASA/JPL confirms that 2025 QD8 poses no impact threat during this encounter, and it is highlighted as a routine close approach on public dashboards that list upcoming visitors by date, nominal distance, and estimated size [1]. Objects in the 17–38 m range are monitored because they are detectable with current surveys and can yield valuable insights into composition and rotation, even though they are not flagged as immediate hazards at the approach distances discussed here [4]. The Watchers, referencing CNEOS/JPL data, provides a similar distance—0.568 LD—and a slightly different timing (15:05 UTC), illustrating how independent trackers mirror the core parameters while reflecting normal solution updates [5]. With a relative speed around 28,000 mph, the pass is too distant for any atmospheric interaction and too far for perturbations that would meaningfully alter risk assessments during this apparition [1]. As a result, the livestream will be a science-forward and educational event rather than an emergency or warning scenario [2].

What the asteroid flyby tells us about NEO tracking

Frequent, precisely predicted close approaches like 2025 QD8’s highlight the effectiveness of modern survey networks, real-time astrometric reporting, and centralized orbit solutions that inform the public via platforms such as NASA’s “Next Five Approaches” [4]. The Virtual Telescope’s decision to stream at 23:00 UTC the night before closest approach ensures ample observing arc for viewers and scientists alike, capturing the object’s changing apparent speed and direction as the geometry evolves toward the 14:57 UTC closest pass [2]. Cross-referenced reporting—Space.com’s global coverage, the Virtual Telescope’s telescope feeds, and The Watchers’ distilled CNEOS data—provides a triangulated view of the event’s critical numbers: distance in kilometers and miles, lunar-distance fraction, diameter range, and timing window [1][2][5]. This redundancy ensures that even with minor solution updates, the public receives consistent, quantitative context about what is happening and why the event is noteworthy yet safe [4]. In short, this asteroid flyby exemplifies data-driven planetary defense communication: concrete numbers, transparent uncertainties, and accessible viewing opportunities [1].

Final viewing checklist

– Livestream start: Sept. 2 at 23:00 UTC (7 p.m. ET), hosted by the Virtual Telescope Project from Manciano, Italy [2][3].
– Closest approach: Sept. 3 at 14:57 UTC (10:57 a.m. ET), nominal distance 218,009 km (135,465 miles) [1].
– Alternative listing: 0.568 LD and ~15:05 UTC timing cited by independent trackers reflecting ongoing solution refinements [5].
– Estimated size: 17–38 m (55–124 ft); speed near 28,000 mph; no impact risk flagged by NASA/JPL [1][4].
– Viewing tip: Watch for a small moving point against steady stars in the livestream; commentary will explain the motion and geometry [2].

Sources:
[1] Space.com – Watch an asteroid the size of a commercial jet pass within Earth‑moon distance on Sept. 3 (video): https://www.space.com/stargazing/watch-live-online-as-an-asteroid-the-size-of-a-commercial-jet-passes-within-earth-moon-distance-on-sept-3-video
[2] The Virtual Telescope Project – Near‑Earth Asteroid 2025 QD8 very close encounter: online observation – 2 Sept. 2025: https://www.virtualtelescope.eu/2025/09/01/near-earth-asteroid-2025-qd8-very-close-encounter-online-observation-2-sept-2025/
[3] The Virtual Telescope Project – Near‑Earth asteroid 2025 QD8 very close encounter: an image: https://www.virtualtelescope.eu/2025/09/01/near-earth-asteroid-2025-qd8-very-close-encounter-an-image-30-aug-2025/
[4] NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory – Next Five Asteroid Approaches: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/asteroid-watch/next-five-approaches
[5] The Watchers – Asteroid 2025 QD8 close approach cataloged; watch live webcast: https://watchers.news/2025/08/30/asteroid-2025-qd8/

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