- On January 20, 2024, astronomer Krystian Sarnetsky detected an asteroid on a course for an imminent collision with Earth.
- Just a few hours later, it crashed into Earth’s atmosphere 50 kilometers west of Berlin, producing an amazing fireball.
- The asteroid, named “2024 BX1,” is the eighth asteroid discovered by humans before the collision, and the third asteroid discovered by Sarnetsky.
Discovery of asteroid 2024 BX1
Sarnetsky, a veteran asteroid hunter, discovered the new asteroid on Saturday, January 20, 22, using the 60cm Schmidt telescope at Piskestetu Mountain Station, part of Hungary’s Konkoli Observatory. It was 48 minutes (Central European Time).
He soon obtained data on the asteroid’s orbit. minor planet centerBut just from the first three observations, it was impossible to know for sure whether it was on a collision course with Earth.
But Sarnetsky continued to track the asteroid, and just a few minutes later he shared four more observations that clearly showed a 100% chance of an imminent collision.
Global response and impact
Automated collision monitoring systems around the world, including ESA’s Meerkat, sprang into action in response to these new data, alerting astronomers and asteroid experts.
Sarnetsky continued to observe and report, and was soon joined by others in Europe. He turned his attention to the celestial bodies that were being visited by more than a dozen observatories. With their help, it soon became clear that the tiny asteroid, about 1 meter in size, would impact Earth within two hours, about 50 kilometers west of Berlin, Germany.
On average, an asteroid of this size hits Earth every few weeks. They pose no significant danger and most are never detected. But they can help us understand how many small asteroids exist, and if caught on camera, we can study the fireballs they produce to determine what they’re made of. Masu.
Thankfully, large asteroids, many kilometers in diameter, are much easier to spot and relatively rare. Most of the near-Earth asteroids that would be catastrophic if they hit our planet have already been discovered, and we know that no asteroids will hit Earth for at least the next 100 years. .
Event and its significance
From Saturday night into Sunday morning, astronomers continued to track asteroid 2024 BX1 until it entered Earth’s shadow and disappeared from view at 01:25 CET.
Observers held their breath, but they didn’t have to wait long. Just a few minutes later, at 1:32 a.m. Central European Time, 2024 BX1 crashed into Earth’s atmosphere, setting the night sky ablaze. Many people in the Berlin area and throughout central Europe were able to witness the fireball, and a few people and automated camera systems were even able to record it.
Late at night on January 20, 2024, astronomer Krystian Sarnetsky detected an asteroid on a course for imminent collision with Earth. Just a few hours later, on Sunday, January 21, at 01:32 CET, it crashed into the planet’s atmosphere 50km west of Berlin, creating this amazing fireball. The asteroid, later named 2024 BX1, was only the eighth asteroid discovered by humans before the collision. Thanks to the quick response and information sharing from Earth’s asteroid and fireball communities, including ESA’s Near Earth Object Coordination Center, the astronomical event occurred with just hours’ notice and in the midst of global warming. Many people were able to see and record this spectacular sight. night. This video was captured by his AllSky7 network.Credit: ALLSKY7 / Sirko Molau – AMS16 Ketzer
To date, only eight asteroids have been detected before they hit Earth’s atmosphere. The first of these was discovered in 2008, with four more detected in the past two years alone. This number is likely to grow exponentially in the coming years as humanity’s ability to detect smaller space objects continues to improve.
In the three hours between detection and impact, approximately 180 observations were submitted to the Asteroid Center, including observations from ESA’s Near Earth Object Coordination Center taken on the Spanish island of Tenerife.
Thanks to the quick response and information sharing from Earth’s asteroid and fireball community, many people were able to see and document this spectacular sight, even though it occurred in the middle of the night with only a few hours’ notice. It’s done.
A search is currently underway for a meteorite that may have survived its intense journey through the atmosphere and reached the surface.
For more on this story, see “Small asteroid detected on imminent collision course with Earth.”