{"id":803605,"date":"2026-09-07T06:40:38","date_gmt":"2026-09-07T11:40:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=803605"},"modified":"2026-09-07T06:40:38","modified_gmt":"2026-09-07T11:40:38","slug":"asteroid-2026-rw1-impacts-earth-over-indian-ocean-about-7-hours-after-discovery-becomes-13th-known-asteroid-detected-before-impact","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=803605","title":{"rendered":"Asteroid 2026 RW1 impacts Earth over Indian Ocean about 7 hours after discovery, becomes 13th known asteroid detected before impact"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Asteroid 2026 RW1 struck Earth over the Indian Ocean northwest of Australia on September 6, just over 7 hours after it was discovered, becoming the 13th<\/sup> known asteroid detected before hitting Earth. This event added another real-world test of planetary defense systems designed to identify small incoming objects, rapidly refine their trajectories, and determine where and when they will enter the atmosphere.<\/p>\n

ESA tracked the asteroid under the temporary identifier CERNQ52 using its Meerkat system and estimated its diameter at only 0.6\u20131.3 m (2\u20134.3 feet). Objects of this size are difficult to detect far in advance because they are intrinsically faint, often becoming observable only when they are already relatively close to Earth.<\/p>\n

As new observations were added, ESA classified 2026 RW1 as a confirmed impactor and determined the median impact position near 13.77\u00b0S, 116.43\u00b0E, over the Indian Ocean northwest of Australia.<\/p>\n

Meerkat is designed to assess newly detected objects when only a short observational arc is available. It tests a range of possible trajectories and narrows the solution as additional astrometric measurements arrive.<\/p>\n

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\u2604\ufe0f\ud83c\udf87INCOMING! Our systems have calculated an atmospheric entry in the timeframe between 16:00-16:30 UTC of a harmless object discovered by Mt Lemmon survey with a diameter of ~0.8 m northwest of Australia over the ocean. The impact will likely cause a bright meteor @esaoperations pic.twitter.com\/3xkXbCHqSo<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Richard Moissl (@Richard_M_F) September 6, 2026<\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

The Minor Planet Center\u2019s (MPC) orbital solution classifies the asteroid as an Aten near-Earth object, with an absolute magnitude of H 33.26, an orbital inclination of 1.43402\u00b0, and a semimajor axis of 0.9447379 AU, approximately 141.3 million km (87.8 million miles).<\/p>\n

The object burned out in the atmosphere, and judging by its latest calculated impact area, there\u2019s almost no chance of meteorite recovery.<\/p>\n

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Image credit: ESA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

This is now the 13th<\/sup> predicted Earth impactor, following 2026 JN4 in May \u2014 the first such detection in almost 1.5 years.<\/p>\n

JN4 reached Earth a little more than three hours after discovery. In comparison, 2026 RW1 was tracked for approximately 7 hours 22 minutes between its first reported observation and nominal impact.<\/p>\n

Predicted Earth impactors<\/h2>\n

Updated at 11:20 UTC on May 16, 2026<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Object \/ Type<\/th>\nDiscovery date (UTC)<\/th>\nImpact date (UTC)<\/th>\nImpact location<\/th>\nDimensions (~)<\/th>\nEnergy released (kt)<\/th>\nNotes<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
2008 TC3 (Apollo)<\/td>\nOctober 6, 2008 at 06:39<\/td>\nOctober 7, 2008 at 02:46<\/td>\nNubian desert, Sudan<\/td>\n4 m (13.1 feet)<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n600 meteorites found. Total weight 11 kg.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2014 AA (Apollo)<\/td>\nJanuary 1, 2014 at 06:18<\/td>\nJanuary 2, 2014 at 03:06<\/td>\nAtlantic Ocean<\/td>\n3 m (9.8 feet)<\/td>\n0.5 – 0.1<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2018 LA (Apollo)<\/td>\nJune 2, 2018 at 08:22<\/td>\nJune 2, 2018 at 16:44<\/td>\nBotswana\/South Africa<\/td>\n3 m (9.8 feet)<\/td>\n0.4<\/td>\nAt least 24 meteorites found. Ejected by asteroid Vesta. Howardite-Eucrite-Diogenite (HED) type material<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2019 MO (Apollo)<\/td>\nJune 22, 2019 at 07:24<\/td>\nJune 22, 2019 at 21:25<\/td>\nPuerto Rico<\/td>\n5 m (16.4 feet)<\/td>\n6<\/td>\nPossibly Alinda asteroid. NEXRAD weather radar detected falling meteorites over water.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2022 EB5 (Apollo)<\/td>\nMarch 11, 2022 at 19:24<\/td>\nMarch 11, 2022 at 21:22<\/td>\nJan Mayen Island, Norway<\/td>\n1 m (6.4 feet)<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2022 WJ1 (Apollo)<\/td>\nNovember 19, 2022 at 04:53<\/td>\nNovember 19, 2022 at 08:27<\/td>\nOntario, Canada<\/td>\n1 m (3.2 feet)<\/td>\n–<\/td>\nMost meteorites fell in water.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2023 CX1 (Apollo)<\/td>\nFebruary 12, 2023 at 20:18<\/td>\nFebruary 13, 2023 at 02:59<\/td>\nNormandy, France<\/td>\n1 m (3.2 feet)<\/td>\n–<\/td>\nOver 22 meteorites.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2024 BX1 (Apollo)<\/td>\nJanuary 20, 2024 at 20:48<\/td>\nJanuary 21, 2024 at 00:33<\/td>\nBerlin, Germany<\/td>\n 0.7 – 1.6 m (2.23 – 5.2 feet) \/ ~140 kg<\/td>\n–<\/td>\nAbout 200 meteorites. Total weight 1.8 kg.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2024 RW1 (Apollo)<\/td>\nSeptember 4, 2024 at 05:43<\/td>\nSeptember 4, 2024 at 16:39<\/td>\nLuzon, Philippines<\/td>\n1.1 – 2.4 m (3.6 \u2013 7.9 feet)<\/td>\n0.2<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2024 UQ<\/td>\nOctober 22, 2024<\/td>\nOctober 22, 2024 at 10:54<\/td>\nEastern Pacific Ocean<\/td>\n1 m (3.2 feet)<\/td>\n0.15<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2024 XA1<\/td>\nDecember 3, 2024 at 05:55<\/td>\nDecember 3, 2024 at 16:15<\/td>\nSiberia, Russia<\/td>\n70 cm (2.3 feet)<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2026 JN4<\/td>\nMay 15, 2026 at 08:08<\/td>\nMay 15, 2026 at 13:44<\/td>\nArafura Sea region<\/td>\n0.65 – 1.4 m (2.1 – 4.5 feet)<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2026 RW1<\/td>\nSeptember 5, 2026 at 08:45<\/td>\nSeptember 6, 2026 at 16:39 UTC<\/td>\nIndian Ocean, between Indonesia and Australia<\/td>\n1 – 2.3 m (3.2 – 7.5 feet)<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

References:<\/p>\n

1<\/sup> 2026 RW1 \/ MPEC 2026-R64 \u2013 MPC \u2013 September 6, 2026<\/p>\n

2<\/sup> Imminent Impactors \u2013 ESA\/NEOCC \u2013 September 6, 2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n