An Asteroid Burnt Up over Siberia Marking the 2nd Major Asteroid Crossover in a Week.
December 4, 2024- An Asteroid was visible this morning in Northern Siberia. A cosmic rock burned up over the atmosphere, creating a fireball in the sky.
@abcnews A small asteroid was visible in northern Siberia on Tuesday as it closed in on its collision course with Earth. It’s the first of two expected asteroid fly-bys this week. The European Space Agency issued an alert for the 27-inch asteroid early Tuesday morning, with the agency saying the celestial rock would create a visible fireball in the sky but that “the impact will be harmless.” Video posted to social media on Tuesday shows the bright, fast-moving fireball darting through the sky before dissipating. #news #asteroid #space #siberia #abcnews
The asteroid, officially named 2024 XA1, burnt up over the Yakutia region in Siberia. The asteroid measured 28 inches in diameter and was identified only 12 hours before entering Earth’s atmosphere.
The fireball effect is caused by friction along the asteroid’s surface against the atmosphere.
Asteroids Near Earth
This marks one of the 132 asteroids that have come closer to Earth than our moon since 2023. The burn-up is considered harmless and there has been no debris recovered as of now.
NASA estimates that 36,000 asteroids have passed by Earth. Though they are all relatively small, advances in technology have made them easier to detect.
The predicted impact led to some users online posting misleading information regarding the asteroid. Depictions of a massive cosmic rock hurtling to Earth have raised panic among users who aren’t well informed on the actual status of the “impact”.
@spacethings7 BREAKING NEWS: Tuesday 12/3 11:14 AM ET ASTEROID TO HIT EARTH AT 11:14 AM ET / no threat to life as it will burn up #spacethings #breakingnews #asteroid #nasa #space #spacetok #spacenews #news
Don’t let the video fool you. The asteroid was harmless and posed no real danger. Instead it illuminated the sky as a fiery streak backlit against a sunrise.
NASA Asteroid Predictions
NASA predicts that another asteroid will pass by the Earth tonight at 12:27 AM. However, this one is much larger in comparison to the former. Named 2020 XR, it measures nearly 1,200 feet in diameter as opposed to 28 inches.
Have no fear, this one is much further than the aforementioned 2024 XA1 and will also pose no threat to Earth.
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Published by HOLR Magazine
Image Credit: @abcnews7 TikTok, @spacethings7 TikTok