A small asteroid, measuring about 27 inches (70 centimeters) in diameter, has been detected on a collision course with Earth and is set to disintegrate harmlessly in the atmosphere today.
Detected by astronomers at the Kitt Peak National Observatory near Tucson, Arizona, the asteroid, temporarily designated C0WEPC5, is expected to enter Earth’s atmosphere around 11:15 am ET (1615 GMT), creating a visible "fireball" over northern Siberia.
The European Space Agency (ESA) confirmed that the asteroid poses no danger to Earth, as it will burn up before reaching the ground.
This marks the fourth "imminent impactor" of 2024—asteroids discovered just hours before their expected impact. C0WEPC5 joins a growing list of similar objects, now totaling 11 confirmed imminent impactors.
The previous asteroid, 2024 UQ, was detected just two hours before it burned up over Hawaii on October 22. Earlier this year, two other impactors—2024 BX1 and 2024 RW1—also disintegrated harmlessly in the atmosphere, with the latter creating a widely-shared fireball over the Philippines in September.
Global space agencies, including ESA, monitor space objects with extensive sensor networks to detect and track such asteroids, ensuring any potential risks are identified and mitigated.
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