Viral: Asteroid Creates Stunning Lightshow In Russia's Yakutia (image-X/volcaholic1)
A small asteroid, named C0WEPC5, hit Earth’s atmosphere in the early hours of Wednesday and burnt up above northeastern Russia’s Yakutia. Videos of the event went viral on social media with netizens in awe of the spectacular light show on display.
Merely 27 inches in diameter, the tiny asteroid was identified on a “collision course” with Earth, but the impact was deemed “harmless,” according to the European Space Agency (ESA).
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#ULTIMAHORA
El asteroide C0WEPC5 ya ha entrado en la atmósfera de la Tierra en Rusia#ALERTA #URGENTE #BREAKING pic.twitter.com/uep6Bh9uzk— KL Videos (@KL_Videos) December 3, 2024
The ESA confirmed that around 5:15 pm CET (9:45 pm IST), the fireball lit up the skies over northern Siberia. The asteroid is much similar to previous ones such as 2022 WJ, 2023 CX1, and 2024 BX1, which had created stunning bright flashes upon atmospheric entry.
Yakutia’s Emergency Ministry reported that all officials had been alerted as the asteroid closed in, but no damage was reported after its landfall. The ESA stated that the asteroid was spotted roughly 12 hours prior to its appearance in the sky.
☄️ Asteroid #C0WEPC5 (temporary designation) entered Earth’s atmosphere at 16:15 UTC/17:15 CET, creating a fireball over Yakutia witnessed by people in the region.
The object was discovered roughly 12 hours ago and is thought to have been around 70 cm across.
Thanks to… https://t.co/ohya9xsEak
— European Space Agency (@esa) December 3, 2024
Upon landfall, the asteroid disintegrated into several fragments; its rocks scattered across a remote forested area.
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Asteroids are rocky and airless residues from the early formation of the solar system about billions of years ago. Also known as minor planets, they range from Vesta, the largest asteroid at about 530 kilometres in diameter, to less than 33 feet. Most asteroids orbit the Sun between Mars and Jupiter, which is the main asteroid belt.
