Falling asteroid lights up sky in rural Russia, locals see comet-like fireball hurtle toward Earth | Clock

Locals in Russia’s remote Yakutia region witnessed a comet-like fireball fall to earth early on December 4, according to a Reuters report citing an official statement and scientists’ reports on the phenomenon.

The asteroid, which burned up the atmosphere and lit up the sky, was visible to residents of Lensk and Olekminsk districts in Russia’s far eastern Yakutia region.

According to a statement from the emergency ministry in the region, all official bodies had been put on alert because of the asteroid, but no injuries were reported after it crashed, according to Reuters.

‘A comet and a flash’

“Residents of Olekminsk and Lensk districts were able to observe at night a comet-like tail and a flash,” the ministry’s statement said.

According to the European Space Agency (ESA), the asteroid was believed to have been 70cm across and was spotted 12 hours before it appeared in the sky. ESA wrote on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) that the asteroid entered the Earth’s atmosphere at 1.15am local time (4.15pm GMT).

“Thanks to observations from astronomers around the world, our alert 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 the asteroid was “a small one but it will still be quite spectacular, visible for hundreds of kilometres” before the fireball appeared.

Social media abounds with eyewitness videos

Netizens were in a frenzy on social media platforms, with several accounts posting eyewitness videos of the spectacle at X.

One user simply wrote “#Asteroid”; while another marveled at the prospect, writing: “And if this week hasn’t been eventful enough for you, here’s a meteorite landing in Yakutia” (sic).

Take a look at the various videos recorded via security cameras or by space enthusiasts and locals.

(With input from Reuters)