Fireball Lights Up Siberian Sky as Small Asteroid Burns Up on Entry
Yakutia, Russia – Residents in the remote Siberian republic of Yakutia were treated to a spectacular celestial show Tuesday night as a small asteroid blazed through the atmosphere above their heads. The space rock, estimated at less than 27.5 inches in diameter, created a bright fireball that illuminated the night sky for a fleeting but dazzling moment.
While the sight was undeniably awe-inspiring, experts reassured the public that the event posed no threat.
“Asteroid #C0WEPC5 (temporary designation) entered Earth’s atmosphere at 16:15 UTC/17:15 CET, creating a fireball over Yakutia witnessed by people in the region," the European Space Agency (ESA) stated on X, following the event. "The object was discovered roughly 12 hours ago and is thought to have been around 70 cm across. Thanks to observations from astronomers around the world, our alert system was able to predict this impact to within +/- 10 seconds.”
The ESA had identified the asteroid earlier in the day, determining its trajectory and predicting a "collision course" with Earth. However, they quickly emphasized that the impact would be "harmless."
Video of the 70cm asteroid that entered earths atmosphere over northern Siberia today ☄️ pic.twitter.com/kXdEULUe5X
— Volcaholic 🌋 (@volcaholic1) December 3, 2024
NASA echoed the sentiment, simply calling the event a "harmless fireball." Thanks to the University of Arizona’s Bok telescope, astronomers were able to detect the asteroid’s approach, giving scientists enough time to track it and predict its atmospheric entry.
Although the asteroid, reportedly smaller than a basketball, ultimately disintegrated into dust particles and vapor as it encountered the Earth’s atmosphere, its fiery descent offered a stark reminder of the constant interplay between our planet and the cosmic debris that surrounds us.
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
