70cm Asteroid C0WEPC5 Burns Up Over Yakutia, Siberia, Creating Fireball

Dec 3, 2024, 06:06 PM

A small asteroid, designated as C0WEPC5 and approximately 70 centimeters in diameter, entered Earth's atmosphere over the Yakutia region of Siberia on December 3 at around 16:15 UTC (17:15 CET). Detected just 12 hours prior, the asteroid created a bright fireball in the sky as it burned up harmlessly in the atmosphere. The European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA confirmed the event, noting that due to its small size, the asteroid posed no danger. Residents in Yakutia witnessed the dramatic spectacle, with the asteroid's fragments possibly landing between Olekminsk and Lensk. The asteroid was the fourth 'imminent impactor' of 2024.