Asteroid lights up sky over Russia's Far East

(CLO) An asteroid lit up the sky over the remote Yakutia region in Russia's Far East early Wednesday morning, creating a fireball before potentially burning up in the atmosphere.

The emergencies ministry in Yakutia said all official agencies were put on alert as the asteroid approached but no damage was reported after it hit.

"Residents in Olekminsk and Lensk districts observed a comet-like tail and a flash of light at night," the newspaper said.

An asteroid lights up the sky over Lensk, Republic of Yakutia, Russia on December 4, 2024. Photo: Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Yakutia

Russia's emergency services also said the asteroid, known as C0WECP5, passed through Earth's atmosphere over Russia's Siberian Republic of Yakutia, causing no damage.

"A potentially dangerous asteroid was detected on a collision course with Yakutia. Emergency services were put on high alert. Fortunately, the asteroid passed through the atmosphere. Daily life was not disrupted. Tonight, residents of the Olekminsky and Lensky districts can observe a tail and comet-like rays," the agency wrote on its Telegram channel.

The asteroid, believed to be 70cm in diameter, was spotted about 12 hours before it appeared in the sky, the European Space Agency said. It entered the atmosphere at 1:15am local time, the agency said.

"Thanks to observations from astronomers around the world, our warning system can predict this collision with an accuracy of +/- 10 seconds," the agency said.

Astronomer Alan Fitzsimmons of Queen's University Belfast, quoted by New Scientist magazine, said that before the fireball appeared, the asteroid "was a small asteroid, but still very spectacular, visible from hundreds of kilometres away".

Bui Huy (according to TASS, Reuters)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/tieu-hanh-tinh-thap-sang-bau-troi-vung-vien-dong-nuoc-nga-post324106.html