Detected asteroid to enter Earth’s atmosphere tonight

WEB DESK: A small asteroid has been identified on a collision course with the Earth on Tuesday.

Dubbed C0WEPC5, the small asteroid measures around 70 centimetres in diameter. It is expected to enter our atmosphere over northern Siberia on Wednesday.

The impact time is projected around 10:15 pm local time.

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The European Space Agency (ESA) assured the public that the asteroid posed no danger to the planet. Upon entering the Earth’s atmosphere, the miniature asteroid is expected to disintegrate and burn into a bright fireball, which will be visible from the ground.

Due to its size, the asteroid is not likely to survive the intense heat generated during atmospheric entry.

The C0WEPC5 was detected by astronomers at the Kitt Peak National Observatory in Tuscon, the United States shortly before its expected impact.

The event marks the eleventh successful prediction of an asteroid impact on Earth, and it is the fourth such occurrence in 2024 alone.

Similar event in the past have helped provide opportunities for scientific study  and public interest in space phenomena.

The 2013 Chelyabinsk meteor in particular raised awareness about the importance of monitoring near-Earth objects.

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Different space agencies around the world have been actively researching and tracking near-Earth Objects. NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) and ESA’s Near-Earth Object Coordinator Centre (NEOC) are two such organisations.

As the asteroid nears, skywatchers in northern Siberia have the chance to witness a celestial event.