24/7 Space News
IRON AND ICE
Asteroid 2024 BX1 spotted three hours before impact
The final detection of asteroid 2024 BX1 (initially known as Sar2736 prior to impact) obtained by Luca Buzzi from the Schiaparelli Observatory in Italy. The exposure was started at 00:24:55 UTC on 20 January 2024. The asteroid is travelling from the centre of the image towards the top and begins to fade from view as it enters Earth's shadow.
Asteroid 2024 BX1 spotted three hours before impact
by Staff Writers
Paris (ESA) Jan 26, 2024

It was at 22:48 CET on Saturday 20 January when veteran asteroid hunter Sarneczky discovered a new asteroid using the 60 cm Schmidt Telescope at Piszkesteto Mountain Station, part of Konkoly Observatory in Hungary.

He immediately sent his data on the asteroid's trajectory to the Minor Planet Center, but with just three initial observations, it was impossible to know for sure whether it was on a collision course with Earth.

However, Sarneczky continued tracking the asteroid, and just a few minutes later, he shared four more observations that clearly indicated a 100 % chance of an imminent impact.

Automatic impact monitoring systems around the world, including ESA's 'Meerkat', responded to these new data and sprang into action, issuing an alert to astronomers and asteroid experts.

Sarneczky continued to make and report his observations and was soon joined by others in Europe. More than a dozen observatories turned their eyes towards the incoming object. With their help, it soon became clear that the small asteroid, roughly one metre in size, would impact Earth in less than two hours, approximately 50 km west of Berlin, Germany.

Asteroids of this size strike Earth on average every couple of weeks. They pose no significant danger, and most are never detected. But they can help us understand how many small asteroids are out there and we can study the fireballs they produce to determine what they are made of - if we catch them on camera.

Thankfully, large asteroids that are many kilometres in diameter are much easier to spot and relatively rare. The vast majority of near-Earth asteroids that would cause devastating damage if they were to impact our planet have already been spotted, and we know of none that will collide with our planet for at least the next one hundred years.

As Saturday night became Sunday morning, astronomers continued to track asteroid 2024 BX1 until, at 01:25 CET, it entered Earth's shadow and disappeared from view.

Observers held their breath, but they didn't have to wait for long. Just a few minutes later, at 01:32 CET, 2024 BX1 struck Earth's atmosphere and burned an explosive streak through the night sky. Many people in the Berlin area and across central Europe were able to witness the fireball, and a handful of people and automated camera systems even managed to record it.

Only eight asteroids have ever been detected before impact with Earth's atmosphere. The first of these discoveries took place in 2008, and four were detected in just the last two years. As humankind's ability to detect smaller space objects continues to improve, this number is likely to rise exponentially in the coming years.

During the three hours between detection and impact, around 180 observations were submitted to the Minor Planet Center, including those of ESA's Near-Earth Object Coordination Centre taken from Tenerife, Spain.

Thanks to the rapid response and information sharing from Earth's asteroid and fireball communities, many people were able to see and record this spectacular sight, despite it taking place with just hours' notice and in the middle of the night.

The hunt is now on for any potential meteorites that survived the fiery journey through the atmosphere and made it to the ground.

Related Links
Planetary Defence at ESA
Asteroid and Comet Mission News, Science and Technology

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
IRON AND ICE
NASA's Scout System successfully predicts small asteroid impact over Germany
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jan 25, 2024
In a recent demonstration of NASA's advancing planetary defense capabilities, a small asteroid, approximately 3 feet (1 meter) in size, disintegrated harmlessly over Germany. This event occurred on Sunday, Jan. 21, at 1:32 a.m. local time (CET). Notably, NASA's Scout impact hazard assessment system provided a 95-minute advance warning of the asteroid's impact trajectory, marking this event as the eighth instance in history where a small Earth-bound asteroid was detected in space before entering and disi ... read more

IRON AND ICE
Northrop Grumman marks 20th ISS resupply mission with Cygnus launch

Innovating Space Nutrition: BioNutrients' 5-Year Space Journey Nears End

Virgin Galactic Marks 11th Spaceflight with Full Passenger Manifest

SpaceX launches 20th Northrop Grumman ISS resupply mission

IRON AND ICE
Sidus Space's 3D Hybrid satellite 'LizzieSat' ready for launch

MITRE and MDC team up to advance at Midland Spaceport

Rocket Lab starts busy year with successful booster recovery

PLD Space secures contract for Spanish small satellite launcher development

IRON AND ICE
A New Perspective Sols 4082-4083

Confirmation of ancient lake on Mars builds excitement for Perseverance rover's samples

NASA helicopter's mission ends after three years on Mars

New Year, New images from Perseverance on Mars

IRON AND ICE
BIT advances microbiological research on Chinese Space Station

Shenzhou 18 and 19 crews undertake intensive training for next missions

Tianzhou 6 burns up safely reentering Earth

Yan Hongsen's future dreams as 'Rocket Boy'

IRON AND ICE
Sidus Space, Inc. Announces $5.6 Million Public Offering Pricing

Australian Space Startups to Benefit from UniSA's Enhanced Accelerator Program

Eutelsat Sells OneWeb Share to Airbus U.S. Space and Defense, Advances Asset Optimization

Boosting European Space Ambitions: EC, EIB, and ESA Unite for Sectoral Support

IRON AND ICE
Salsa's last dance targets reentry over South Pacific

ClearSpace and Orbit Fab Forge Strategic Partnership for In-Space Refueling Services

Reticulate Micro's new division, Reticulate Space, brings VAST tech to satellite communications

SAFE Orbit Act: A Step Towards Safer and More Efficient Space Operations

IRON AND ICE
UC Irvine-led team unravels mysteries of planet formation and evolution in distant solar system

NASA's Hubble Finds Water Vapor in Small Exoplanet's Atmosphere

New Insights into Earth's Earliest Life Forms Discovered in Palaeoarchaean Rock Samples

Revolutionizing Chemistry: Over 4 Billion Early-Life Reactions Simulated via Blockchain

IRON AND ICE
New images reveal what Neptune and Uranus really look like

Researchers reveal true colors of Neptune, Uranus

The PI's Perspective: The Long Game

Webb rings in the holidays with the ringed planet Uranus

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.