Asteroid nearly smashes into Siberia as second 'potentially hazardous' fly-by expected in just days
Fireball over Germany created by asteroid
GB NEWS/ESA
An asteroid has nearly smashed into Siberia as a second “potentially hazardous” fly-by is expected in just days.
The small cosmic rock could be seen in northern Siberia on Tuesday, almost colliding with Earth as it hurtled through its orbit.
Meanwhile, astronomers have said that they have predicted a visit from another asteroid later this week.
The European Space Agency sent out an alert at 4.27am, warning that the 27-inch rock would form a visible fireball, although “the impact would be harmless”.
The European Space Agency sent out an alert at 4.27am, warning that the 27-inch rock would form a visible fireball, although “the impact would be harmless”
ESA/X
Asteroid C0WEPC5 is the planet’s fourth asteroid collision just this year, and the 11th overall.
Strikes that have been detected beforehand are labelled “imminent impactors”, according to Arizona’s Kitt Peak National Observatory - which was the first institution to flag the asteroid.#
It is not known whether any debris from the rock has landed on Earth.
The rock entered the planet’s atmosphere at around 11.15am ET above Yakutia in north eastern Siberia as people looked up at the blazing rock.
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Fly-by asteroids are said to be fairly common as astronomers’ have increasingly become able to detect them.
Since October 2023, Nasa has reported that 132 known asteroids have passed nearer the Earth than its moon.
Currently, there have been more than 36,000 fly-bys, according to the space agency.
On Wednesday, another asteroid is set to fly by Earth at 12.27am ET, which is known as 2020 XR in astronomical circles.
Around 36,000 fly-by asteroids have been recorded so far, according to NASA (File photo)
WikiCommonsAlthough it is estimated that the next asteroid has a low likelihood of inflicting any damage on Earth, officials have ruled it out as a possible threat to safety.
As a much larger asteroid, the diameter 2020 XR reaches 1,200 feet - which is about the same height as the Empire State Building and over triple the size of Big Ben.
Nasa has predicted that the rock will only fly by Earth around 1.37 million miles away, which has meant a lower likelihood of impact.
Because Nasa deems any objects that gets as close as 4.6 million to the planet’s surface as “potentially hazardous”, the agency has issued an alert, warning officials of the upcoming asteroid.
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