A large asteroid narrowly missed Earth in Siberia on Tuesday, marking the first of two expected flybys this week. The 27-inch asteroid, temporarily named C0WEPC5, entered Earth’s atmosphere at 11:15 a.m. ET and created a visible fireball witnessed by people in the region. According to the European Space Agency, the impact will be harmless.
This is the fourth detected asteroid strike of the year and the 11th overall, with astronomers detecting fast-moving asteroids ahead of their arrival. The asteroid’s close call was not unusual, as fly-by asteroids are common and have become easier to detect thanks to technological advancements.
NASA reports that over 36,000 asteroid fly-bys have occurred since October 2023, with 132 known objects passing closer to Earth than the moon is. A second massive asteroid, 2020 XR, will also pass Earth at a comfortable distance on Wednesday, although it poses no threat of impact.
Source: https://abcnews.go.com/International/asteroid-creates-fireball-siberia-larger-version/story?id=116422005