Burning asteroid lights up Russia sky

(MENAFN) An asteroid, identified as COWECP5 by US scientists, entered Earth's atmosphere over eastern Siberia on Tuesday, creating a stunning light display visible from the town of Olyokminsk. Originally estimated at a meter in size, the asteroid was later revised to about 70 centimeters.

The asteroid passed over the Lena River in Yakutia around 7 p.m. Moscow time, with its bright flash seen by residents of Olyokminsk, located about 650 km southwest of Yakutsk. Videos posted on social media showed locals reacting to the phenomenon, with some asking, "Is that it?"

NASA’s Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) detected the object just seven hours before it entered the atmosphere. This event marked the fourth asteroid impact this year, but the small size of the asteroid meant it posed no threat. A 2017 study showed that an asteroid would need to be about 18 meters in size to cause significant damage. For comparison, the 2013 Chelyabinsk meteor was 17-20 meters in diameter and caused a shockwave that injured over 1,000 people.

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