Residents of Russia’s remote far eastern region of Yakutia were treated to a spectacular celestial display early Wednesday morning when an asteroid lit up the night sky, producing a brilliant fireball before likely burning up in the atmosphere.
The Yakutia emergencies ministry reported that all official bodies had been placed on alert as the asteroid approached. Fortunately, no damage was reported following its descent.
“Residents of Olekminsk and Lensk districts were able to observe in the night a tail similar to a comet and a flash,” the ministry stated.
The European Space Agency (ESA), writing on X (formerly Twitter), noted that the asteroid was believed to have measured approximately 70 centimeters across and was spotted about 12 hours in advance of its appearance. It entered the atmosphere at 1:15 a.m., according to ESA’s data.
“Thanks to observations from astronomers around the world, our alert system was able to predict this impact to within +/- 10 seconds,” the agency said.
Astronomer Alan Fitzsimmons of Queen’s University in Belfast, quoted by New Scientist magazine, mentioned prior to the event that although the asteroid was small, “it will still be quite spectacular, visible for hundreds of kilometers.”
This event underscores the importance of international collaboration in tracking near-Earth objects, enabling timely alerts and fostering a better understanding of cosmic phenomena that capture the imagination of people worldwide.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
