Fourth asteroid of the year hits Earth's atmosphere. Here's what to ...

Show Caption

Hide Caption

Stranded Boeing Starliner astronauts near six months in space

NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore are approaching six months in space after technical issues with the Boeing Starliner.

An asteroid was pegged to hit Earth “imminently,” according to NASA’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS).

Fortunately, this one wasn’t big enough to land a team of deep-core drillers on, and there’s certainly no need to blow it up with a nuclear bomb.

Designated as COWECP5, the asteroid burned up in the atmosphere as it streaked across the Eastern Siberia sky around 11:14 a.m. ET on Tuesday. The asteroid was detected by astronomers at the Kitt Peak National Observatory near Tucson, Arizona, according to the European Space Agency.

The asteroid was only about 27 inches in diameter and marks the fourth one to hit Earth’s atmosphere in 2024.

The asteroid was only the 11th confirmed “imminent impactor” overall, which means it’s the 11th asteroid we’ve managed to detect prior to impacting Earth. A 12th impact was reported but has yet to be confirmed.

Three other imminent impactors occurred in 2024, in late October, early September and in January, respectively.

Curious about how we track asteroids? Here’s what to know.

How many asteroids hit Earth’s atmosphere in 2024?

Tuesday's asteroid marks the fourth imminent impactor detected in 2024. So far, astronomers have been able to detect more impactors this year than any other year prior.

The first imminent impactor occurred over Berlin, Germany, in January. It was named 2024 BX1 and measured approximately 3.3-feet wide. It burned up over the Berlin sky without incident.

The second asteroid, 2024 RW1, exploded over the Philippines in a dramatic fireball on Sept. 4.

The Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) in Hawaii detected the third asteroid, 2024 UQ, about two hours before it burned up over the Pacific Ocean near the islands.

How frequently do near-Earth objects pass by?

Small fragments of asteroids and comets less than 3 feet in size hit Earth’s atmosphere almost daily, according to NASA. Slightly bigger asteroids, about a few meters, pass between the Earth and Moon several times a month.

How many near-Earth asteroids have been discovered?

NASA estimates that there have been more than 19,000 NEO asteroids discovered as of 2019. An average of 30 new discoveries are added each week.

What are the chances of Earth being impacted by an asteroid?

As of now, NASA doesn’t predict there is a significant chance of Earth being struck by an asteroid larger than 140 meters in the next 100 years.

What’s the difference between an asteroid and a comet?

An asteroid is a small, inactive body that orbits the sun, typically composed of rocky, dusty and metallic materials. They usually orbit within the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, according to NASA.

Comets are small sun-orbiting bodies that contain ice and usually get vaporized when they approach the star.

How to watch an asteroid

The best way for most people to “watch” an asteroid is by tracking it on NASA’s Asteroid Watch website. Here you can see the next five closest approaches to Earth.