Asteroid bursts into flames above English Channel as huge flash of light sparks frenzy

A small asteroid was spotted bursting into the Earth’s atmosphere in a shooting star effect above the English Channel.

The 1m (3ft) meteoroid dubbed Sar2667 was seen shortly before 3am on Monday morning.

Social media users in the south of England shared footage of the flying rock as it sparked a frenzy online.

It is the seventh time an asteroid impact has been predicted in advance which The European Space Agency has hailed "a sign of the rapid advancements in global asteroid detection capabilities.”

A 'fireball' effect caused a frenzy online as the rock flew across the sky
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One witness said on Twitter that the asteroid "lit up the sky with a pink flash which was spectacular."

Another said: "I just stood at my window and turned on my phone. I wasn't expecting much but it really was amazing."

The European agency said the object was set to “safely strike” the earth’s atmosphere near to French city Rouen.

A “fireball” effect was created after the asteroid entered about 4km (2.5 miles) from the French coast, according to the International Meteor Organization, a Belgium-based non-profit organisation.

Asteroids are small rock-like objects that orbit the sun and are often described as minor planets.

According to the European Space Agency, around 30,600 asteroids travel in an orbit which brings them near to Earth.

More than 1.1 million have been recorded by authorities, although the number is believed to be much higher.

The last asteroid predicted to enter the Earth’s atmosphere was seen above Ontario, Canada in November last year.

It was the latest predicted asteroid since November 2022
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Earlier this year an asteroid the size of a minibus had been on direct collision course with earth.

However, there is a high possibility the rock would have disintegrated high in the atmosphere before impact.

Experts say they are most concerned about “goldilocks asteroids” which are much bigger space rocks that can do serious damage if they collide with earth.

NASA announced that an experiment to deflect the path of an asteroid had been successful in October last year.