TEMPLE, Texas — A small asteroid hit Earth's atmosphere on Wednesday, Sept. 4, according to the European Space Agency (ESA).
Thankfully, the asteroid was "harmless", the agency said, and burned up near the Philippines.
According to the ESA, the 3-foot (one meter) asteroid was discovered Wednesday morning by the Catalina Sky Survey, and is only the ninth asteroid that has ever been spotted before impact.
Space.com reported the asteroid was discovered by Catalina Sky Survey research technologist Jacqueline Fazekas and is now known as 2024 RW1.
While the asteroid may not have made a literal impact on the Earth, it did make quite a light show as it streaked across the sky. The ESA forecasted that people in the asteroid's path might see a "spectacular fireball", and users on social media soon shared their videos of the sight.
The International Meteor Organization (IMO) also shared a picture of the fireball reportedly left by the asteroid.
NASA said its Planetary Defense Coordination Office also detected the asteroid on its sensors, and knew that it would be harmless. 2024 RW1 can now be found alongside other fireballs on NASA's website at this link.
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