Northern Luzon Residents Witnessed 1-Meter-Sized Asteroid That Entered Earth’s Atmosphere
A one-meter-sized asteroid entered Earth’s atmosphere over northern Luzon, creating a stunning fireball that lit up the skies.
In the early hours of Thursday (September 5, 2024), the asteroid, known as 2024 RW1, was only detected a few hours before impact by NASA’s Catalina Sky Survey. Upon entering the atmosphere at around 12:46 a.m., the asteroid disintegrated, producing a bright display visible to residents across northern Luzon.
”Discovered this morning by the Catalina Sky Survey, this is just the ninth asteroid that humankind has ever spotted before impact,’‘ the European Space Agency (ESA) wrote in their post.
The local residents of Cagayan province and nearby areas captured videos showing the asteroid turning into a greenish fireball as it burned up. The fireball was also briefly visible in Tuguegarao City and even as far south as Metro Manila and CALABARZON.
Though spectacular, the event was harmless as the asteroid broke apart upon entry. Any remnants would have fallen into the ocean or disintegrated before reaching the ground.
The recent incident is only the ninth time in history that an asteroid has been detected before impacting Earth. While it caused no damage, the astrological event was overshadowed by Typhoon Yagi (locally known as Enteng), which affected parts of northern Luzon with heavy rains and wind, making the visibility of the fireball unclear in some areas.
”Most asteroids can be found orbiting the Sun between Mars and Jupiter within the main asteroid belt. Asteroids range in size from Vesta—the largest at about 329 miles (530 kilometers) in diameter—to bodies that are less than 33 feet (10 meters) across. The total mass of all the asteroids combined is less than that of Earth’s Moon,” the agency added.
Despite the storm, residents who witnessed the rare celestial event described it as an awe-inspiring sight.
Authorities reassured the public that the asteroid’s entry posed no danger. Such small asteroids are common, and most burn up safely in the atmosphere, creating these short, beautiful light shows across the sky.
The social media users expressed their reactions to the post:
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