On November 9, 2024, asteroid 2024 UQ entered Earth's atmosphere just hours after its detection, measuring approximately 3 feet (1 meter) in diameter, posing minimal threat to the planet's surface.
The asteroid was first identified on October 22 by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) in Hawaii, a network of four telescopes scanning the sky for potentially hazardous objects. Two hours later, 2024 UQ disintegrated over the Pacific Ocean near California, categorizing it as an 'imminent impactor.'
The short detection window meant that the Near-Earth Object Coordination Centre (NEOCC) of the European Space Agency (ESA) did not receive tracking data until after the asteroid had impacted Earth, as noted in their November 2024 bulletin.
ESA reported that ATLAS captured images leading to the detection of the small object on a collision course, but it was recognized as a moving object only hours later due to its location at the edge of two adjacent observation fields.
Upon impact, a flash of light was detected by NOAA's GOES weather satellites and the Catalina Sky Survey, a NASA project utilizing a series of telescopes to identify asteroids and comets in the solar system. This flash confirmed the impact of 2024 UQ and its trajectory.
According to ESA, this marks the third imminent impactor detected this year. The previous two, 2024 BX1 and 2024 RW1, were detected mere hours before impact, with BX1 burning harmlessly over Berlin, Germany, in January, and RW1 exploding above the Philippines on September 4.
Planetary defense initiatives aimed at cataloging the multitude of space rocks in our cosmic vicinity have become a global priority for space agencies. In addition to ATLAS and the Catalina Sky Survey, NASA is developing a new infrared telescope called NEO Surveyor to hunt for potentially threatening near-Earth objects.
Detection and tracking are just part of the equation; space agencies are also testing methods for deflecting approaching asteroids if necessary. NASA's DART mission successfully impacted a double asteroid system in 2022 to alter its trajectory, while China is developing its own asteroid deflection mission slated for 2030.