A small asteroid temporarily named C0WEPC5 entered Earth’s atmosphere over northeastern Siberia on Tuesday morning, creating a dazzling fireball. This rare cosmic event was followed by news of a much larger asteroid, 2020 XR, set to safely pass Earth later this week.
Siberia’s Fiery Spectacle
The 27-inch asteroid was detected early Tuesday morning, prompting a warning from the European Space Agency (ESA) at 4:27 a.m. ET. The agency assured that the asteroid would cause no harm, describing the impact as “harmless” but visually spectacular.
At 11:15 a.m. ET, the asteroid entered the atmosphere over Yakutia in northeastern Siberia. Witnesses reported seeing a brilliant fireball streak across the sky before vanishing. Social media was quickly flooded with videos capturing the event. It remains unclear whether any fragments of the asteroid reached the ground.
C0WEPC5 marks the fourth asteroid strike of 2024 and one of just 11 imminent impactors ever detected before entry, according to Arizona’s Kitt Peak National Observatory.
Another Asteroid Approaches
Adding to the excitement, NASA has announced that 2020 XR, a 1,200-foot asteroid, will pass Earth on Wednesday at 12:27 a.m. ET. Though significantly larger than C0WEPC5, it poses no danger, as it will pass 1.37 million miles away — well beyond Earth’s impact zone.
“While the likelihood of an impact is virtually zero, 2020 XR qualifies as a ‘potentially hazardous asteroid’ due to its proximity,” said a NASA spokesperson.
A New Era in Asteroid Tracking
This week’s dual events have highlighted both Earth’s vulnerability to space rocks and the significant advancements in asteroid detection technology.
Since October 2023, over 36,000 asteroid fly-bys have been recorded, with 132 coming closer to Earth than the moon. The ability to detect and monitor these objects has improved dramatically, offering scientists better insights into potential threats.
As discussions about planetary defense and asteroid tracking continue, these recent events underscore the importance of staying vigilant against the cosmic visitors in Earth’s neighborhood.
