An asteroid struck Earth on Wednesday, appearing as a fireball as it flew over the Philippines.
Locals watched in amazement as the space rock hurtled through the atmosphere at 39,000 miles per hour and broke up before reaching the ground.
Images of the event appeared to show asteroid 2024 RW1 beaming brighter than the moon over the island of Luzon at 12:46 a.m. local time.
The asteroid was first detected just eight hours before entering the atmosphere, making it the ninth object to be precisely observed before impacting Earth.
An asteroid struck Earth on Wednesday as it entered the atmosphere over the Philippines.
The asteroid (pictured) was discovered eight hours before it hit Earth, making it the ninth time an object has been accurately discovered before it entered the atmosphere.
The European Space Agency (ESA) has renamed the one-meter asteroid 2024 RW1, after it was given the temporary title CAQTDL2.
“Thanks to new observations, we now have a very good idea of where the object will impact,” ESA said in the two hours before the object appeared, adding: “Welcome to Earth, asteroid 2024 RW1.”
People speculated that the asteroid would still be “a good light show” despite its small size, while others praised scientists’ ability to predict where and when an asteroid would impact.
Many complained on X that they saw nothing or that it looked like just a flash of lightning, while one person wrote: “Hope someone can capture the ‘fireball’ on video.”
“I waited for the asteroid to come, sat on top of our folding ladder to get a wider view of the sky… and I didn’t see any asteroids. Just bats.”
However, other users began posting images and videos of the asteroid 20 minutes after it entered the atmosphere.
Viewers posted X-rated videos of what they claimed was asteroid 2024 RW1 as it flew across the sky, looking like a fireball.
Videos began to appear as the bright asteroid X was leaving the sky. One person called it “Best shot yet!” from Gonzaga, Cagayan, Philippines.
A person aware a video of the object, writing: ‘A faint flash is observed in the sky over Muntinlupa City, Metro Manila as asteroid 2024 RW1 (CAQTDL2) enters the atmosphere.’
Before the celestial observation, scientists assured that the asteroid’s small size meant it would not cause any damage upon impact with the ground.
According to a 2017 study, only asteroids that measure at least nearly 60 feet in diameter are potentially lethal if they head toward Earth.
The asteroid struck east of the Philippines on Wednesday at approximately 12:45 EST.
The early sighting of the incoming asteroid is unique as very few have been seen before they entered Earth’s atmosphere, but experts reported that this could be a sign of things to come.
“The really positive aspect of this is that research telescopes are now good enough to detect these approaching things and give us a little warning,” Fitzsimmons told New Scientist.
This indicates that if a large space rock were to hit the planet and pose a threat to humans, scientists would have enough time to warn people to leave the area.
“This is really a good demonstration that current survey systems are doing a very good job,” Fitzsimmons continued.
‘We’re probably detecting on average one small asteroid every year before it hits the atmosphere, and the survey systems are getting better and better.’
ESA added in its post that “this detection is really great news. It is… a sign that we are improving our planetary defence capabilities.”
