A small asteroid is expected to hit the Earth today, but astronomers have reassured that it will not pose any danger. The tiny object, about one meter in size, will burn up in the atmosphere as it enters the planet’s orbit.
Although it may provide a spectacle in the Philippines, where it is expected to land near Luzon Island, the European Space Agency has warned that nearby tropical storm conditions might make it difficult to see the fireball. The asteroid was discovered just this morning by the Catalina Sky Survey and will be visible as a fireball as it burns up in the sky.
This is the ninth time astronomers have spotted an asteroid before it hit Earth, with the latest being named 2024 RW1. Most asteroids that enter the Earth’s atmosphere are too small to cause any damage and burn up completely. Some larger impacts can cause significant damage, such as the Chelyabinsk meteor in 2013, which injured over 1,500 people and caused millions of dollars in damage.
Space agencies have been working on ways to protect the Earth from potentially hazardous asteroids, including testing spacecraft that could deflect their path.
Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/space/asteroid-earth-strike-impact-philippines-where-b2606963.html