Small asteroid impact today over the ocean near Australia

Earth as seen from space on the right with a small rocky body on the left. — Artist’s idea of an asteroid close to Earth. Specialists stated a small asteroid influence will occur over the Indian Ocean close to Australia at present, September 6, 2026, at 16:07 UTC. The article ought to harmlessly influence Earth’s environment close to northwest Australia and create a brilliant meteor. Picture through Batman111/ Pixabay.

Small asteroid influence at present close to Australia

The Mount Lemmon Observatory survey has noticed a brand new asteroid, lower than 1 meter throughout (lower than 3 ft throughout) that’s headed for Earth. The influence ought to occur in Earth’s environment close to northwest Australia at 16:07 UTC (11:07 a.m. CDT). At the moment close to Australia the skies needs to be darkish, so folks within the space may see a brilliant flash of the incoming meteor.

In the intervening time, the asteroid has the title CERNQ52.

That is the thirteenth time we’ve found an asteroid before impact.

Richard Moissl, the Head of Planetary Protection for ESA, wrote on social media:

INCOMING! Our techniques have calculated an atmospheric entry within the timeframe between 16:00-16:30 UTC of a innocent object found by Mt Lemmon survey with a diameter of ~0.8 m northwest of Australia over the ocean. The influence will doubtless trigger a brilliant meteor.

Adrien Coffinet, a member of the Minor Planet Mailing Record, wrote:

If I’m not unsuitable, this would be the first Aten asteroid (a < 1 AU) detected in house earlier than influence. All of the earlier impactors detected in house earlier than influence had been Apollo asteroids (a > 1 AU).

Aten asteroids are people who have an orbit inside Earth’s, so below 1 astronomical unit (AU). Apollo asteroids are these which can be farther from the solar than Earth on common.

Map of world with red triangle where it was discovered and blue streak near Australia for impact. — This map exhibits the place the small meteor will influence close to northwest Australia. Picture through Richard Moissl/ NEO ESA.

Report the meteor in case you see it

Should you dwell within the space and see the brilliant flash of the meteor from the asteroid influence, you may report it with the International Meteor Organization. And in case you seize a picture of it, share it with us at EarthSky Community Photos!

? ASTEROID ATMOSPHERIC ENTRY ALERT ?A freshly found (08h45min UT, Sept. 6) small (~0,8 m diameter) asteroid (CERNQ52) is in a trajectory that may direct it into the Earth environment, over Indian ocean at present (Sept. 6) round 16h 35min UT. Keep tuned for extra updates!

— International Meteor Organization (@imometeors.bsky.social) 2026-09-06T10:45:09.571Z

Backside line: A small asteroid influence will happen within the subsequent few hours close to northwest Australia. The meteor ought to harmlessly deplete in Earth’s environment and poses no hazard.

Kelly Kizer Whitt

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Concerning the Creator:

Kelly Kizer Whitt writes and edits among the most fascinating tales at EarthSky.org. She’s been writing about science, with a give attention to astronomy, for many years. She started her profession at Astronomy Journal and made common contributions to different shops, together with AstronomyToday and the Sierra Membership. She has 9 printed books, together with a kids’s image guide, Photo voltaic System Forecast, and a younger grownup dystopian novel, A Completely different Sky.

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