Social media was abuzz with videos of a small asteroid burning up over the Philippines on Wednesday. Named 2024 RW1, the asteroid was discovered just hours before its impact by research technologist Jacqueline Fazekas. This highlights the need for space agencies to continue their efforts in tracking and cataloguing near-Earth objects through missions like NASA’s Double Asteroids Redirect Test.
On Wednesday, April 26, 2023, a small asteroid named 2024 RW1 entered Earth's atmosphere over the Philippines. The asteroid was discovered just hours before its impact by research technologist Jacqueline Fazekas of the Catalina Sky Survey in Tucson, Arizona.
The asteroid was about the size of a small car and was traveling at a speed of about 11 kilometers per second (25,000 miles per hour). It entered Earth's atmosphere at an angle of about 45 degrees and exploded in a bright flash of light. The explosion was visible from the ground and was captured on video by several people.
The impact of the asteroid did not cause any damage or injuries. However, it did highlight the need for space agencies to continue their efforts in tracking and cataloguing near-Earth objects (NEOs). NEOs are asteroids and comets that come close to Earth's orbit. While most NEOs are harmless, some have the potential to cause significant damage if they impact Earth.
NASA is currently developing a mission called the Double Asteroid Redirect Test (DART) that will test the effectiveness of a spacecraft impacting an asteroid to deflect it from its path. The DART mission is scheduled to launch in 2022.
Top 5 FAQs about Asteroids and Earth Impacts
The likelihood of an asteroid impact on Earth is very small. However, it is not zero. There are an estimated 25,000 NEOs that are larger than 1 kilometer in diameter. Of these, about 1,000 are considered to be potentially hazardous asteroids (PHAs). PHAs are asteroids that have a potential to impact Earth and cause significant damage.
The effects of an asteroid impact depend on the size of the asteroid and the location of the impact. A small asteroid impact, like the one that occurred over the Philippines, will likely not cause any damage. However, a larger asteroid impact could cause significant damage, including:
There are a number of ways to prevent asteroid impacts, including:
NASA is currently developing a number of missions to prevent asteroid impacts, including:
There are a number of things that you can do to help prevent asteroid impacts, including:
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