Asteroid close approach: ‘Close’ is very far in astronomical terms.
A Near-Earth Object (NEO) is a any small Solar System body whose orbit bring it to proximity with Earth. As they orbit the Sun🌞, Near-Earth Objects occasionally make a ‘close approach’ to Earth🌎.
Every month dozens of near-earth asteroids come within 0.05au of Earth- that’s about 4,647,790 miles.
So NEOs are not necessarily currently near the Earth, but they can potentially approach the Earth relatively closely– therefore, a ‘close approach’.
Technoभौतिकी India 