Week 36, 2024: Asteroid Lights Up as a Bright Fireball over the island of Luzon, Philippines (September 4, 2024)
2024 RW₁ lighting up the night sky over Gonzaga, Cagayan (Credit: Allan Madelar)
On September 4, 2024 a small meteoroid only about 1-m in diameter was discovered to be in a direct collision course with Earth. Designated by the Minor Planet Center (MPC) as 2024 RW₁, it was first spotted by Jacqueline Fazekas of the Catalina Sky Survey from Mount Lemnon Observatory in Arizona, USA about 14 hours before impact.
It was the ninth known asteroid discovered on a collision course with Earth since 2008. The meteoroid crashed off the coast of the island of Luzon in the Philippines by 00:39 (UTC+8), and despite the stormy weather at the time caused by the departing Typhoon Yagi (Enteng) and the southwest monsoon, many astronomers, space enthusiasts and skywatchers in the country have managed to observe and record the event as it occurs
The asteroid 2024 RW₁ is available for download as an addon for Celestia here
Source: Philippine Astronomy Forum, Minor Planet Center, International Meteor Organization
Gallery of the Impact of Asteroid (2024 RW₁)
Pamplona, Cagayan (Credit: Marvin Coloma)
Tuguegarao City, Cagayan (Credit: Raymon G. Dullona)
Solana, Cagayan (Credit: Jayrold P. Del Mundo)
Santa Ana, Cagayan (Credit: Karen Bea)
Asteroid (2024 RW₁) in Context
Discovery images by the Catalina Sky Survey
Predicted impact site as reported by the Minor Planet Center
Satellite images of the local weather at the time of impact, 00:40 UTC. Impact site was circled in red