VIDEO: Asteroid Explodes in the Skies of the Philippines

An asteroid of relatively small size burned harmlessly over the Pacific Ocean yesterday, according to the European Space Agency (ESA).

The asteroid, measuring about 1 meter, was detected on September 4 at approximately 12:46 PM Eastern Time near the island of Luzon in the Philippines. The asteroid, designated 2024 RW1, was discovered by researcher Jaclyn Fazekas from the NASA-funded Catalina Sky Survey observatory.

This facility, located near Tucson, Arizona, is tasked with tracking and cataloging near-Earth objects. According to ESA, 2024 RW1 was the ninth asteroid to be observed before entering the Earth's atmosphere.

The NASA Asteroid Watch website had predicted that the asteroid's burn-up in the atmosphere could produce a bright flash in the sky. Numerous videos posted on social media show a bright green fireball appearing in the sky.

Planetary defense, which involves searching for, tracking, and observing asteroids close to Earth, has become one of the main priorities for space agencies around the world. In 2022, NASA's DART mission struck one of the asteroids in a binary system with a specially designed device, aiming to alter its trajectory.

To safeguard Earth from potential asteroid impacts, NASA plans to develop a new infrared telescope known as the NEO Surveyor, while China is also working on its own mission to deflect asteroids, set to be ready by 2030.