Keep an eye on this weather webcam out of Russia, and you might see a small asteroid hit Earth’s atmosphere over Siberia around 16:14 UTC (10:14 a.m. CST) today.
Small asteroid to hit Earth’s atmosphere in a couple hours
Just this morning (05:55 UTC on December 3, 2024) astronomers discovered a small asteroid, somewhere in size between 0.5 to 1.2 meters (1.6 to 4 feet) … and it’s headed right toward Earth. This asteroid, currently carrying the name C0WEPC5, will harmlessly enter Earth’s atmosphere around 16:14 UTC (10:14 a.m. CST) on December 3, 2024, over Eastern Siberia. You may recall the impressive Tunguska event, when a large asteroid created an airburst that flattened hundreds of square miles of trees in 1908, also happened in Eastern Siberia. This tiny asteroid will create a nice fireball in dark skies but result in no damage.
According to NASA’s Asteroid Watch, astronomers first made the discovery:
… with the University of Arizona’s Bok telescope by the NASA-funded Catalina Sky Survey and Spacewatch. The impact prediction was made by the Scout system at NASAJPL’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS).
The incoming asteroid has a velocity of about 9.6 miles per second (15.5 km/s) with a moderate angle of 58 degrees. And it’s coming in from the southeast. According to Sam Deen’s predictions on the Minor Planet Mailing List, it might be possible for people in Yakutsk, Mirny, Norilsk or Dudinka to see it.
In a few hours from now, newly-discovered asteroid C0WEPC5 will slam into Russia. It is very small and should cause no damage. pic.twitter.com/csHHymymS4
— Tony Dunn (@tony873004) December 3, 2024
4th asteroid to hit Earth’s atmosphere in 2024
This is only the 11th time ever and the 4th time this year that astronomers have spotted an asteroid just before it crashed into Earth’s atmosphere. Earlier this year a 3 feet (1 meter) asteroid hit over the Pacific Ocean on October 22, and another one of similar size struck the atmosphere above the Philippines on September 4. And the first one this year hit above Germany on January 21.
With our increasing technology, we are able to spot more of these little asteroids before they hit us. According to NASA:
Every day, Earth is bombarded with more than 100 tons of dust and sand-sized particles. About once a year, an automobile-sized asteroid hits Earth’s atmosphere, creates an impressive fireball, and burns up before reaching the surface.
Bottom line: A small asteroid will harmlessly hit Earth’s atmosphere over Siberia in Russia today. Find maps and a webcam here.
Via IMO
Via NASA Asteroid Watch