Asteroid Illuminates English Channel at Midnight... 'Flash' Explosion Moment Captured

Collision course with Earth... Exploded in the upper atmosphere after passing through the atmosphere
Observed in southern England, northern France, and Belgium

An asteroid that had the potential to collide with Earth exploded in the air, brightly illuminating the English Channel at midnight. Photos capturing this scene spread on social media, drawing the attention of netizens worldwide.

According to the European Space Agency (ESA), at around 2:58 a.m. local time on the 13th, an approximately 1-meter-sized asteroid exploded over the English Channel. At that moment, it created a spectacular scene by brightly lighting up the surroundings before disappearing back into the darkness.

The asteroid was on a collision course with Earth and became a fireball in the sky after passing through the atmosphere, exploding midair. Some fragments are believed to have fallen along the northern coast of France.

Asteroid exploded over the English Channel on the 13th (local time). Photo by Yonhap News

The light emitted from the asteroid’s explosion was observed not only in southern England and northern France across the English Channel but also in parts of Belgium and Germany. Photos capturing the event were shared on social media, becoming a hot topic among netizens.

An asteroid on a collision course with Earth can pose a significant threat to humanity and natural ecosystems. In 1908, a 50-meter-diameter asteroid fell in Siberia, Russia, burning down about 2,000 square kilometers of forest?roughly three times the area of Seoul. In February 2013, a 20-meter-diameter asteroid exploded in the air over Chelyabinsk, Russia, injuring approximately 1,500 people.

However, small asteroids or meteors only about 1 to 2 meters in diameter usually burn up or explode as fireballs while passing through the atmosphere. The asteroid that exploded over the English Channel appears to be such a case.

Meanwhile, the asteroid captured this time was first spotted by Christian Sarnecki, an astronomer at the Piszk?stet? Observatory in Hungary, at 8:18 p.m. on the 12th. Sarnecki then reported the asteroid to the International Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet Center, and the asteroid was officially named '2023 CX1.'