Scientists made a remarkable discovery of a small asteroid just six hours before it entered Earth's atmosphere, burning up above the Indian Ocean off the northwestern coast of Australia on September 6, 2026.
This meteor stood out because scientists detected it before it collided with Earth.
Detected by the "Catalina Sky Survey's Mount Lemmon Observatory," the asteroid, estimated to be about 80 centimeters in diameter, was officially named 2026 RW1, or CERNQ52.
Richard Moissl, Head of Planetary Defense at the European Space Agency, confirmed the event, noting that the approximately 0.8-meter diameter impact body would result in a bright but harmless meteor.