A small asteroid was detected early Tuesday over northern Siberia on its collision course with Earth.
The European Space Agency confirmed the asteroid, measuring about 27 inches wide, was first discovered by astronomers at the Kitt Peak National Observatory in Tucson, Arizona.
The agency issued the alert at 4:27 a.m. ET on X, formerly Twitter, that it would produce a fireball in the sky, but the “impact would be harmless,” according to the post.
Incoming!☄️
A small asteroid has just been spotted on a collision course with Earth. At around ~70 cm in diameter, the impact will be harmless, likely producing a nice fireball in the sky over northern Siberia around seven hours from now at ~16:15 +/- 05 min UTC (17:15 +/-5 min… pic.twitter.com/ie9yj0FHfB
— European Space Agency (@esa) December 3, 2024
Asteroid marks fourth strike of the year
ABC News reported that the asteroid is the first of two expected fly-bys this week. It has become the fourth detected asteroid strike of the year and the 11th of all time.
The celestial rock entered the Earth’s atmosphere at 11:15 a.m. ET, creating a fireball effect seen by residents in the area, the agency said.
Several videos of the asteroid were shared on X, showing the space rock racing across the sky before disappearing.
Жители города Олёкминск публикуют кадры падения астероида.
Telegram: https://t.co/nBBEt3Uttd#Yakutia #Russia #Olekmensk #NASA #C0WEPC5 #asteroid #space pic.twitter.com/3NlwZPkt4i— RED Line (@RED_L1n3) December 3, 2024
Asteroids known as “imminent impactors” detected by global programs
According to USA Today, asteroids are also called “imminent impactors,” which occur several hours before reaching the Earth’s atmosphere.
The European Space Agency, headquartered in Paris, and others use different programs to detect when asteroids are close to striking Earth, Space.com reported.
