Early on Wednesday, an asteroid illuminated the sky in Russia’s remote far eastern region of Yakutia, creating a fireball before likely disintegrating in the atmosphere, according to officials and scientists.
The emergencies ministry in Yakutia confirmed that all official bodies were on alert as the asteroid approached, but fortunately, no damage was reported following its descent.
Residents in the Olekminsk and Lensk districts witnessed a comet-like tail and a flash during the night, as reported by the emergencies ministry.
According to the European Space Agency, the asteroid, approximately 28 inches in diameter, was detected approximately 12 hours before it entered the atmosphere at 1:15 a.m. local time (1615 GMT).
The agency praised astronomers worldwide for their observations, stating that their alert system accurately predicted the impact within +/- 10 seconds.
Astronomer Alan Fitzsimmons from Queen’s University in Belfast, as quoted in New Scientist magazine, mentioned that the asteroid, although small, would still be a remarkable sight visible for hundreds of kilometers.
