Scientists said they were able to detect the potentially dangerous asteroid 2022 EB5 two hours before it
Astronomer Kristian Sarnecki first noticedan asteroid on March 11 using a telescope at the Piskesteto Observatory in Hungary. He reported the observation to the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center, which tracks near-Earth objects and comets. Calculations showed that a cosmic body with a 100% probability will fall north of Iceland.
Fortunately, the asteroid turned out to be very small, about a meter in diameter. It burned up in the Earth's atmosphere and was invisible due to its small size.
The European Space Agency (ESA) called the news "quite positive." Researchers have done a lot of work tracking large asteroids, but have paid less attention to smaller space objects."This speaks to how much asteroid observation technology has improved in recent years," ESA said in a statement.
Although 2022 EB5 was relatively small,infrasound detectors picked up a likely impact, which the ESA said suggested an energy release equivalent to a magnitude 4.0 earthquake. As detection systems improve, it will be possible to warn the public about the approach of a small asteroid.
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