Astronomers detect small asteroid before atmospheric entry
On September 6, astronomers detected a small asteroid called CERNQ52 late in the day, first spotted by the Mount Lemmon Observatory as part of the Catalina Sky Survey and later sized by an ESA center at about 0.6–1.2 meters (Mount Lemmon initially estimated ~0.8 meters). ESA predicted atmospheric entry around 16:12 UTC over the Indian Ocean northwest of Australia, where the object burned up as a bright meteor with no danger to people. The case is notable as only the 13th pre-entry detection, may be an Aten-class object, and underscores international tracking and planetary defense capabilities while exposing some media hype.
CERNQ52 was detected hours before entry and burned up harmlessly.
Context
Astronomers found the object on September 6. Observatories refined its path and predicted it would burn up around 16:12 UTC. Teams may use this detection to improve tracking and analysis.
The full analysis
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