Asteroid enters Earth’s atmosphere

A small asteroid about 27 inches (70 centimeters) in diameter has been discovered on a collision course with Earth and is expected to disintegrate harmlessly in the atmosphere today.

The asteroid, temporarily designated C0WEPC5, discovered by astronomers at Kitt Peak National Observatory near Tucson, Arizona, is expected to enter Earth’s atmosphere around 11:15 a.m. ET (4:15 p.m. GMT), producing a visible “fireball” over northern Siberia .

The European Space Agency (ESA) confirmed that the asteroid poses no threat to Earth as it will burn up before reaching Earth.

This is the fourth “upcoming impactor” of 2024 – asteroids discovered just hours before their expected impact. C0WEPC5 joins a growing list of similar objects, now totaling 11 confirmed impending impactors.

The previous asteroid, 2024 UQ, was discovered just two hours before it burned up over Hawaii on October 22nd. Earlier this year, two other impactors – 2024 BX1 and 2024 RW1 – also disintegrated harmlessly in the atmosphere, with the latter producing a widespread explosion. shared fireball over the Philippines in September.

Global space agencies, including ESA, monitor space objects using extensive sensor networks to detect and track such asteroids and ensure potential risks are identified and mitigated.