A small asteroid, measuring approximately 1 meter in size, was expected to harmlessly impact Earth’s atmosphere later on Wednesday, according to a tweet from NASA. According to the tweet, the asteroid was expected to enter the atmosphere around 10:10PM IST and create a fireball off the east coast of the northern Philippines. However, there have been no further updates or follow-up reports regarding the asteroid’s impact as of now.
NASA and @ESA’s near-Earth object study teams predict that a very small (~1 meter) #asteroid will harmlessly impact Earth’s atmosphere in a few hours at ~12:40pm EDT (~16:40 UTC) and create a fireball off the east coast of the northern Philippines. pic.twitter.com/EbmSvinQpB
— NASA (@NASA) September 4, 2024
— NASA (@NASA) The asteroid, which was recently detected by ESA’s near-Earth object study teams, was said to pose no threat to Earth or its inhabitants. Upon entering the atmosphere, the asteroid will burn up harmlessly, creating a bright fireball that may be visible to observers in the region, said European Space Agency’s study.
This event is a reminder of the constant stream of space debris that enters Earth’s atmosphere. While most of these objects are small and harmless, some can pose a potential threat to our planet.
The Chelyabinsk event of 2013, a significant asteroid event that occurred over Russia, serves as a stark reminder of the potential dangers posed by asteroids. This incident involved an asteroid the size of a small building that disintegrated about 20 kilometers above the city of Chelyabinsk, scattering meteorites across the region.
