A small asteroid was recently spotted lighting up the sky over Russia’s Siberian republic of Yakutia as it entered Earth’s atmosphere. Residents of the town of Olekminsk captured videos of the comet-like object passing overhead and shared them on social media. Fortunately, officials confirmed that no damage was reported in the area following the asteroid’s descent. The European Space Agency (ESA) revealed that the asteroid, with a diameter of 70 centimeters, was discovered approximately 12 hours before its appearance. Thanks to observations from astronomers worldwide, the ESA’s alert system was able to predict the impact within +/- 10 seconds.
Asteroids are remnants from the formation of the Solar System billions of years ago, and they usually orbit the Sun in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Although impacts from large asteroids are rare, smaller and medium-sized asteroids are more common and still have the potential to cause serious damage. These space rocks are known as ‘near-Earth Objects’ (NEO) when their orbit brings them close to Earth. The ESA’s Planetary Defence Office, part of the Agency’s Space Safety Programme, monitors, predicts, and alerts potentially dangerous NEOs. Despite the rare occurrence of large asteroid impacts, being prepared and vigilant about space objects entering Earth’s atmosphere is crucial for maintaining safety and security.
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