An asteroid was caught on camera moving through the sky over southern England on Monday morning, igniting over the English Channel and putting on a mesmerizing show for those who were lucky enough to see its bright green tail and flashes of orange as it burned.
The asteroid was first detected by asteroid hunter Krisztián Sárneczky, according to the European Space Agency (ESA). The group celebrated asteroid #2023CX1, which was only 1 meter (3.2 feet) in its diameter, as the seventh asteroid to be forecasted ahead of time.
According to the ESA, almost half of all predicted asteroid impacts have now occurred in the last 12 months, which is an “encouraging illustration of how detection capabilities are rapidly advancing,” the group said.
The small asteroid, which posed “no threat,” struck Earth’s atmosphere over northern France at about 4 a.m. Central European Time. Those in Southern England and near the French coast were able to celebrate seeing the shooting star thanks to its early detection at about 12:18 Eastern Time on Sunday.
The fireball, also referred to as “Sar2667,” was apparently “well worth the cold hands” to those who saw it in the city of Portsmouth, England. It was also visible over Belgium and the Netherlands.