NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) successfully tracked a tiny asteroid’s entry into Earth’s atmosphere, predicting its impact down to the minute. The asteroid, estimated to be about 2.5 feet in diameter, was discovered approximately 12 hours before it created a fireball over Siberia.
According to NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office, the asteroid would impact Earth at 11:14 a.m. EST on Tuesday, and its location was predicted to be over eastern Russia’s Olyukminky District. Emergency officials in the remote area were informed about the asteroid’s approach, and residents reported observing a tail similar to a comet and a flash in the night sky.
The prediction was made possible by NASA’s Scout system, which combines observations from astronomers around the world to provide accurate impact forecasts. The success marked the 11th asteroid impact forecast ahead of time this year, with an accuracy of within +/- 10 seconds. The asteroid has been temporarily named COWEPC5.
Source: https://www.foxweather.com/earth-space/asteroid-entry-fireball-russia