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Recently discovered space rock adds to the growing list of predicted asteroid impacts
In a remarkable demonstration of advancing asteroid detection capabilities, scientists successfully tracked a small asteroid just hours before it entered Earth’s atmosphere off the California coast. The incident marks the third such event this year, in which astronomers spotted a space rock moments before impact.
The asteroid, initially designated A11dc6D and later officially named 2024 UQ, measured approximately three feet in diameter. It made its dramatic entry into Earth’s atmosphere on October 22, creating a spectacular fireball approximately 1,000 kilometers from the California coastline.
NASA’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) documented the event, reporting that the celestial visitor illuminated the pre-dawn skies at 3:54 am PT. While the impact occurred over the Pacific Ocean, preventing public observation, the ATLAS survey maintained tracking until the asteroid’s final moments.
Growing trend in asteroid detection
Peter Brown, a prominent meteor scientist at Western University in Ontario, Canada, highlighted the significance of this event on social media platform X: “This is the 10th time an asteroid impact was predicted in advance.”
The increasing frequency of such predictions can be attributed to enhanced surveillance systems. “It is becoming increasingly common because of the efficiency of surveys like ATLAS, Catalina, and Pan-Starra,” Brown explained.
Recent precedents
This latest incident follows a similar event just last month when another asteroid was detected hours before creating a fireball over the Philippines on September 5. Research technologist Jacqueline Fazekas discovered that asteroid, designated 2024 RW1, using the NASA-funded Catalina Sky Survey near Tucson, Arizona.
The European Space Agency (ESA) confirmed that the Philippines asteroid was also approximately three feet long, with the recent California coast impact releasing slightly less energy upon atmospheric entry.
Historical context
These recent events gain additional significance when compared to the rare meteorite fall in South Africa this August – the country’s first in nearly 51 years. That incident created a sonic boom audible for kilometers and generated tremors, with some fragments falling into the ocean.
South Africa’s meteorite history underscores the rarity of such events, with only 51 recorded meteorites total and a mere 22 documented falls since records began. The country’s previous confirmed meteorite fall occurred in Lichtenburg in 1973.
The increasing frequency of predicted asteroid impacts represents a significant advancement in Earth’s planetary defense capabilities, highlighting the crucial role of modern detection systems in tracking potential celestial visitors.
