[ad_1]
Locals in Russia’s remote region of Yakutia saw a comet-like fireball fall to Earth on the morning of December 4, Reuters reported, citing an official statement on the incident and reports from scientists.
The asteroid, which lit up the atmosphere and lit up the sky, was visible to residents of the Lensk and Olekminsk districts of Russia’s Far Eastern Yakutia region.
According to a statement from the emergency ministry in the region, all official bodies were put on alert due to the asteroid, but according to Reuters, there was no damage after it crashed.
‘A Comet and a Flash’
“Residents of the Olekminsk and Lensk districts were able to see a comet-like tail at night and a flash,” the ministry statement said.
According to the European Space Agency (ESA), the asteroid is believed to be 70 cm wide and was spotted 12 hours before it appeared in the sky. ESA social media platform
“Thanks to observations from astronomers around the world, our warning system was able to predict this impact within -10 seconds,” the agency said.
New Scientist magazine quoted astronomer Alan Fitzsimmons of Queen’s University in Belfast as saying that before the fireball became visible the asteroid was “a tiny bit smaller, but it will still be quite spectacular, visible for hundreds of kilometres”.
Social media buzzing with eyewitness video
Netizens were very active on social media platforms, with many accounts posting eyewitness videos of the spectacle on X.
One user simply wrote “#asteroid”; While another expressed surprise at the scene, writing, “And if this week hasn’t been eventful enough for you, there’s a meteorite landing here in Yakutia” (sic).
Take a look at the various videos captured by security cameras, or by space enthusiasts and locals.
(With inputs from Reuters)
[ad_2]
