On Sunday, a small asteroid approximately 3 feet (1 meter) in size disintegrated harmlessly over Germany at 1:32 a.m. local time (CET). About 95 minutes before entering Earth's atmosphere, NASA's Scout impact hazard assessment system issued a warning regarding the impact location and time.
According to NASA, this marks the eighth occasion in history where a diminutive Earth-bound asteroid has been identified while still in space before entering and disintegrating in our atmosphere.
NASA: Bright Fireball Over Germany
NASA reported that the asteroid's impact generated a luminous fireball, or bolide, visible from as far away as the Czech Republic and may have scattered small meteorites on the ground approximately 37 miles (60 kilometers) west of Berlin.
The asteroid promptly received the designation 2024 BX1. NASA prioritizes tracking near-Earth objects (NEOs) measuring 140 meters and bigger due to their potential significant damage on the ground.
Detection of these larger objects allows for more lead time than smaller asteroids like 2024 BX1. While minor asteroids such as 2024 BX1 occasionally impact Earth, they pose no threat to life.
However, they can provide a useful demonstration of NASA's planetary defense capabilities, highlighting the effectiveness of Scout's rapid-response trajectory computation and impact alerts.
Observations of 2024 BX1 commenced less than three hours before impact, initiated by Krisztián Sárneczky at Piszkéstető Mountain Station of the Konkoly Observatory near Budapest, Hungary. Early observations were swiftly relayed to the Minor Planet Center, a globally recognized hub for position measurements of small solar system bodies.
These observations were automatically posted on the center's Near-Earth Object Confirmation Page, facilitating additional contributions from astronomers.
2024 BX1 Asteroid
Scout, operated by the Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, retrieved and analyzed the new data from the confirmation page.
CNEOS provides impact hazard assessments to the Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO) at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
Upon the initial detection of 2024 BX1, Scout signaled the potential for impact, necessitating urgent additional observations. As astronomers contributed new data to the Minor Planet Center, the asteroid's trajectory became more precise, significantly elevating the probability of it impacting Earth.
Seventy minutes post-sighting, Scout confirmed a 100% Earth impact probability, refining estimates as tracking continued. The asteroid's disintegration over a populated area prompted a flood of online media.
The first asteroid tracked before impacting Earth was 2008 TC3, which broke up over Sudan in October 2008 and dispersed hundreds of small meteorites in the Nubian Desert.
In early 2023, the tiny asteroid 2023 CX1 was detected seven hours before entering Earth's atmosphere over northwestern France. Like 2024 BX1, Scout accurately predicted the impact.
Advancements in NEO surveys detect more harmless objects like 2024 BX1 before entering our atmosphere, and they can provide a helpful demonstration for NASA's planetary defense program and shape mitigation strategies for potential hazards.
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