We are receive better at identify small asteroid and predicting where they are endure to hit our satellite . For the first meter this yr , four asteroids were successfully found and their orbit and predict forwards of their collision with our planet . Thefourth onewas prognosticate and fly over Russia just yesterday , disintegrate into a fireball over the skies of the republic of Sakha in northeastern Siberia .
The object were all tiny , about 1 time ( 3 base ) across . Yesterday ’s object , now dubbed 2024 XA1 , might have been only 70 centimeters ( 27 inch ) in diameter . A previously predicted impactorholds the recordfor the smallest known asteroid , but 2024 XA1 is still pretty small . Its jaunt ( and demolition ) through the atmosphere caused no known damage or injury but gave a pretty spectacle to the the great unwashed of Eastern Siberia , who endure the cold in the former hours of the dawning to keep it .
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The asteroid was describe by theKitt Peak National Observatory . The first observation , according to theMinor Planet Electronic Circulars , was about 12 hours before the actual shock . This is the second long run - up time for an asteroid shock . The longest still belong to the first asteroid ever predicted to impact our planet , 2008 TC3 which was four time across , a importantly bigger object . It wasdiscovered around 20 hoursbefore it burn up over the Nubian desert on October 7 , 2008 .
All the omen asteroid have fortunately been harmless , but the power to blot them and predict them tells us that we are getting better at this planetary protection business . Hopefully , we will presently predict every single torso that flies into Earth , particularly those that can be damaging or dangerous . The most ruinous unity in the neighborhood are all accounted for , but there are smaller target that could still be devasting on a lower scale . A lead - up of 12 hours like that of 2024 XA1 could bring through countless lives .
There is another scientific reason that arrive at the prediction significant : It is potential that these small asteroids leave behind meteorites . Two of them this yr burned up over water , one exploded over thePhilippinesin September , and the other one burned over the Pacific in October . But In January , a undimmed fireball burned over Berlin and left behind extremelyrare meteorites . Even a small blank stone such as 2024 AX1 might forget something invaluable to scientists behind .
