What sounds like the beginning of a Hollywood drama actually wasn’t all that exciting. Because it quickly turned out that the chunk was only regarding two meters in diameter and was therefore harmless.
Still, it was an ideal test run for NASA’s warning software. Krisztián Sárneczky immediately sent his observations to the Asteroids Center in Cambridge, USA. A special software continuously analyzes all data for possible impacts on the earth. She predicted a hit just north of Iceland – less than an hour before impact.
An image from the Meteosat weather satellite later showed a spot of light that was visible for a few seconds. It is unclear whether the recording actually documents how the chunk burns up in the atmosphere – because the time and location do not match exactly.
The development of the warning software has a serious background. Nine years ago, a 20-meter-wide asteroid exploded over the Russian city of Chelyabinsk. 1,200 people were injured.
Hits cannot be prevented in the future with just a few hours’ advance warning – but the experts might at least warn the people in the affected areas.
