According to NASA's Asteroid Watch dashboard, several asteroids approaching Earth on March 17, 2026, will safely pass by the planet-including some significant ones.
The closest asteroid recorded today is 2015 VO142, estimated to be approximately 18 feet wide. However, it will pass at a distance of nearly 649,000 miles from Earth.
Another asteroid, 2026 EZ2, is estimated to be approximately 160 feet wide; it will pass within about 2.34 million miles of Earth.
NASA stated that another asteroid named '2026 DP10', approximately 170 feet wide, will make a close approach at a distance of 2.49 million miles.
The fourth object, 2026 DU17, is also estimated to be approximately 73 feet wide and is expected to pass at a distance of 4.44 million miles today.
Although these close approaches may sound alarming, NASA classifies them as safe flybys rather than potential collision risks and continuously monitors them from Earth.
NASA stated that it highlights objects entering a range of 4.6 million miles on its dashboard; this distance is approximately 19.5 times the average distance from Earth to the Moon.
The average distance from the Earth to the Moon is approximately 239,000 miles; based on this, it can be said that this asteroid is still at a significant distance from us.
For Earth's safety, NASA and JPL are continuously monitoring these objects using orbital calculations and automated collision hazard warning systems such as 'Sentry.'
Therefore, today's asteroid alert is akin to a type of celestial monitoring update: it is approaching Earth, but no threat to the planet has been confirmed.