In the early hours of Wednesday, the quiet skies over Russia's remote Yakutia region were dramatically lit up by a blazing asteroid, creating a spectacular fireball that mesmerized residents. 🌌✨
Locals in the Olekminsk and Lensk districts witnessed the celestial show as a brilliant tail streaked across the night sky followed by a bright flash. The Yakutia Emergencies Ministry reported that while all official bodies were on alert during the asteroid's approach, no damage was reported after its fiery descent. 🙌
The European Space Agency (ESA) took to X (formerly Twitter) to share insights about the event. They estimated the asteroid was about 70 centimeters across and had been spotted approximately 12 hours before it lit up the sky, entering Earth's atmosphere at 1:15 a.m. ⏰
\"Thanks to observations from astronomers around the world, our alert system was able to predict this impact to within +/- 10 seconds,\" the ESA noted. 🚀🔭
Astronomer Alan Fitzsimmons from Queen's University Belfast had earlier told New Scientist that the asteroid, though small, would be \"quite spectacular, visible for hundreds of kilometers.\" And spectacular it was! 🌠
This cosmic event not only provided a stunning display but also highlighted the incredible advancements in space observation and asteroid tracking technology. It's a reminder of the ever-watchful eyes of astronomers keeping our planet safe and the awe-inspiring wonders of our universe. 🌎💫
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
