SAEDNEWS: A small asteroid approximately 1 meter in size burned up in Earth's atmosphere over the Philippines, providing a stunning sight for witnesses.
According to SAEDNEWS, On Wednesday afternoon, a roughly 1-meter (3-foot) asteroid entered Earth's atmosphere and burned up over the Philippines, particularly near Luzon Island, as reported by NASA. The impact occurred at around 12:39 p.m. ET (4:39 p.m. UTC).
The asteroid, initially identified as CAQTDL2 and later renamed 2024 RW1, was discovered earlier that day by the Catalina Sky Survey. According to the European Space Agency, asteroids of this size are estimated to strike Earth about every two weeks, but they are seldom detected before entering the atmosphere.
“This is just the ninth asteroid that humankind has ever spotted before impact,” ESA tweeted, highlighting the significance of the event.
Thanks to its small size, the asteroid was harmless, disintegrating in the atmosphere upon entry. Many sky-gazers in the area were able to capture videos of the spectacular fireball as it lit up the sky, sharing their experiences on social media.
This event serves as a reminder of the ongoing interactions between our planet and space, as well as the efforts by scientists to monitor and understand near-Earth objects.
