No matter how much progress human science has made, many asteroids still avoid warning systems and hit the earth. What is special is that such incidents have increased in the past year. The latest case occurred on October 22, when an asteroid was picked up by the warning system and hit the Earth just three hours later. However, the asteroid did not cause any harm to anyone as it hit Earth over the Pacific Ocean near California.
The asteroid is named 2024 UQ. It was discovered two hours before entering Earth’s atmosphere. It is only 3 feet (1 meter) in diameter. So it’s not a big threat. It was discovered on October 22 by the Asteroid Terrestrial Impact Late Warning System (ATLAS). ATLAS is a four-telescope observatory in Hawaii designed to observe near-Earth objects. Within hours of detection, 2024 UQ burned up in the atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean near California.
European Space Agency statement
The European Space Agency said, “The ATLAS survey received images which show an object with a very high probability of colliding with the Earth. The position of this object is at the edge of two close ranges.” Therefore, it was discovered very late It entered the atmosphere and began burning, and when the Object Impact Monitoring System predicted it would hit the Earth, it hit the Earth.
This is the third time such an incident has occurred within a year
According to ESA, this is the third time this year that the astronomical agency has failed to detect an object hitting Earth in time. This has only happened 10 times so far, but this is the third such incident in a year.
Rail systems require additional investment
This close call highlights the strengths and weaknesses of modern rail systems and provides an argument for continued investment in early detection technology. Although harmless in extreme cases, this scenario focuses Earth’s ongoing efforts to improve space surveillance. The possibility of a potentially dangerous space rock hitting Earth undetected is terrifying, and more investment is needed to reduce the possibility.
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