Small Asteroid Burns Up in Earth Atmosphere At The Philippines

A small asteroid, about 1 meter (3 feet) in diameter, harmlessly entered Earth's atmosphere in the Philippines on September 4, 2024, according to NASA. 

Asteroid Spotted:

In the history of humankind, only eight asteroids had been observed before they entered Earth’s atmosphere until yesterday. On that day, the ninth asteroid, approximately 1 meter (3 feet) in diameter, was seen disintegrating over the Philippines, near Luzon Island on September 4 afternoon. 

Asteroid 2024 RW1:

The asteroid initially referred to as CAQTDL2 and later renamed to asteroid 2024 RW1, was detected by the Catalina Sky Survey. According to ESA, "This is only the ninth asteroid that humanity has ever spotted before it impacted Earth." 

NASA And ESA Predictions:

The Asteroid 2024 RW1, was first detected on the same day by astronomers at the Catalina Sky Survey in Arizona. NASA and ESA's near-Earth object teams predicted that the asteroid would create a fireball visible off the east coast of the northern Philippines at around 12:40 pm EDT. 

True to predictions, the asteroid broke apart over the western Pacific Ocean near Luzon Island in the Philippines at approximately 16:46 GMT, producing a bright flash in the night sky.

Asteroid 2024 RW1 Is Harmless:

Asteroid 2024 RW1 is only the ninth ever to be observed before it impacted Earth. Objects of this size enter Earth's atmosphere about every two weeks, but they generally pose no danger. 

NASA’s Asteroid Watch website had predicted the fireball recently. So people took photos and videos of the asteroid 2024 RW1, which led to widespread social media posts.

The asteroid RW1 was traveling at an estimated speed of 17.6 kilometers per second (39,370 miles per hour), a typical velocity for such objects. 

The European Space Agency (ESA) reported that small asteroids like 2024 RW1 are rarely detected before they enter Earth's atmosphere and pose no harm. While large asteroids have the potential to cause significant damage, the extensive majority have already been identified, with none posing a current risk of impact.