It lit up the skies over the Philippine island.
Past midnight on Thursday, September 5, Filipinos were able to witness a radiant night sky as the 2024 RW1 asteroid, which is about 1 meter in size, disintegrated in the atmosphere.
According to state meteorology bureau Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), the event created “a stunning fireball, visible across the skies of northern Luzon (reports and videos from Tuguegarao and Cagayan) at around 12:39 AM PhST.”
It added that this “marked only the ninth (9th) time an asteroid was discovered before it hit Earth, showcasing the growing capabilities of planetary defense efforts.”
Asteroid 2024 RW1 was detected only hours before impact by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)’s Catalina Sky Survey.
According to European Space Agency (ESA), asteroids hit Earth almost every 2 weeks, but they are rarely detected before they make their impact on our planet.