Veteran asteroid hunter Sárneczky’s discovery of an incoming asteroid led to a coordinated global response, culminating in the successful observation of the asteroid 2024 BX1’s impact near Berlin. This event underscores the progress in space monitoring technology and the value of international collaboration. Credit: SciTechDaily.com
- On January 20, 2024, astronomer Krisztián Sárneczky detected an asteroid on an imminent collision course with Earth.
- Just hours later, it struck our planet’s atmosphere 50 km west of Berlin, producing a stunning fireball.
- Named ‘2024 BX1’, this is just the eighth asteroid that humankind has spotted before impact – and the third discovered by Sárneczky.
Discovery of Asteroid 2024 BX1
It was at 22:48 CET on Saturday, January 20 when veteran asteroid hunter Sárneczky discovered a new asteroid using the 60 cm Schmidt Telescope at Piszkéstető Mountain Station, part of Konkoly Observatory in Hungary.
He immediately sent his data on the asteroid’s trajectory to the Minor Planet Center, but with just three initial observations, it was impossible to know for sure whether it was on a collision course with Earth.
However, Sárneczky continued tracking the asteroid, and just a few minutes later, he shared four more observations that clearly indicated a 100 % chance of an imminent impact.
The final detection of asteroid 2024 BX1 (initially known as Sar2736 prior to impact) obtained by Luca Buzzi from the Schiaparelli Observatory in Italy. The exposure was started at 00:24:55 UTC on January 20, 2024. The asteroid is traveling from the center of the image towards the top and begins to fade from view as it enters Earth’s shadow. Credit: L. Buzzi, G. V. Schiaparelli Observatory
Global Response and Impact
Automatic impact monitoring systems around the world, including ESA’s ‘Meerkat’, responded to these new data and sprang into action, issuing an alert to astronomers and asteroid experts.
Sárneczky continued to make and report his observations and was soon joined by others in Europe. More than a dozen observatories turned their eyes toward the incoming object. With their help, it soon became clear that the small asteroid, roughly one meter in size, would impact Earth in less than two hours, approximately 50 km west of Berlin, Germany.
Predicted impact location and time computed by ESA’s imminent impactor alert system “Meerkat” following the first 14 observations of the object Sar2736 (later designated asteroid 2024 BX1). Meerkat updates assessments each time it receives new observations. Credit: ESA, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO
Asteroids of this size strike Earth on average every couple of weeks. They pose no significant danger, and most are never detected. But they can help us understand how many small asteroids are out there and we can study the fireballs they produce to determine what they are made of – if we catch them on camera.
Thankfully, large asteroids that are many kilometers in diameter are much easier to spot and relatively rare. The vast majority of near-Earth asteroids that would cause devastating damage if they were to impact our planet have already been spotted, and we know of none that will collide with our planet for at least the next one hundred years.
ESA’s Gaia spacecraft maps 150,000+ asteroid orbits. Credit: ESA/Gaia/DPAC, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO, Acknowledgments: Stefan Jordan, Toni Sagristà, Paolo Tanga; Gaia Sky (developed by Toni Sagristà); Gaia DR3 data (https://www.archives.esac.esa.int/gaia)
The Event and Its Significance
As Saturday night became Sunday morning, astronomers continued to track asteroid 2024 BX1 until, at 01:25 CET, it entered Earth’s shadow and disappeared from view.
Observers held their breath, but they didn’t have to wait for long. Just a few minutes later, at 01:32 CET, 2024 BX1 struck Earth’s atmosphere and burned an explosive streak through the night sky. Many people in the Berlin area and across central Europe were able to witness the fireball, and a handful of people and automated camera systems even managed to record it.
In the late evening of January 20, 2024, astronomer Krisztián Sárneczky detected an asteroid on an imminent collision course with Earth. Just hours later, it struck our planet’s atmosphere 50 km west of Berlin, producing this stunning fireball at 01:32 CET, Sunday, January 21. Later named 2024 BX1, this is just the eighth asteroid that humankind has spotted before impact. Thanks to the rapid response and information sharing from Earth’s asteroid and fireball communities, including ESA’s Near-Earth Object Coordination Centre, many people were able to see and record this spectacular sight, despite it taking place with just hours’ notice and in the middle of the night. This video was captured by the AllSky7 network. Credit: ALLSKY7 / Sirko Molau – AMS16 Ketzuer
Only eight asteroids have ever been detected before impact with Earth’s atmosphere. The first of these discoveries took place in 2008, and four were detected in just the last two years. As humankind’s ability to detect smaller space objects continues to improve, this number is likely to rise exponentially in the coming years.
During the three hours between detection and impact, around 180 observations were submitted to the Minor Planet Center, including those of ESA’s Near-Earth Object Coordination Centre taken from Tenerife, Spain.
Visualization of the trajectory and impact of asteroid 2024 BX1 on January 21, 2024, created using the Flyby Visualization Tool of ESA’s Near Earth Object Coordination Centre. Credit: ESA, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO
Thanks to the rapid response and information sharing from Earth’s asteroid and fireball communities, many people were able to see and record this spectacular sight, despite it taking place with just hours’ notice and in the middle of the night.
The hunt is now on for any potential meteorites that survived the fiery journey through the atmosphere and made it to the ground.
For more on this story, see Small Asteroid Detected on an Imminent Collision Course With Earth.
I can’t believe that something that did impact earth, was barely observed just three hours before impact. There is no victory in any of this. I want to punch an infant and homeless woman because of the lack of detection. A lack of detection is a big indicator at planetary defense . So might as well
Beautiful! I’m so glad that both of your comments prove without a doubt, you are a simpleton!
Curious, were there any pictures taken of where the asteroid struck the Earth’s surface? What kind of damage resulted from impact? Thank you kindly.
So you do know one went through ohios atmosphere also….she didnt discover s*** if she didnt catch both of these. It had to be from the same family because i saw this one with my own eyes on january 17th sunbury,ohio at 7:28pm its trajectory looked liked it was going from south east..to..northwest..it was green and super bright but burnt up about halfway into the sky
Why would they tell us?
Watch the movie, These Final Hours
Aus. film in which an asteroid impact “peals earths crust like an orange”
The complete breakdown of society and how humankind faces its extinction is fascinating.
See how I just had success in telling you I was going to do it and did it. Now if you calculate how I did it after the fact is the same significance.
I did what I said I was gonna do
Your a real moron. Get a life
Juan, I would suggest punching the astronomer or astrophysist that states there’s no significant objects scheduled to strick the earth for over 100 yrs!!
Statements like that is assinine and an example of what makes humanity as a whole make statements like, “they wouldn’t tell us anyway.”
At least with 3 hrs notice you have one relevant option for an “E.L.E.” I know of:
“Simply place your head firmly between your legs and kiss your ass goodbye!”
That way you won’t waste time trying to find women and children to punch in the face!
Did you actually punch an infant and homeless woman? You are a sick person. Also, your argument makes no sense. And why do you sound angry and disgusted that the asteroid wasn’t spotted earlier? If you understood how vaste space is compared to how small that asteroid was, you might realize how impressive this was. It would be like finding the solitary brain cell in the vacuum inside your head.
If an asteroid were to hit the earth Nasa wouldn’t be quick enough to film it or do anything about it. If you look up “flatearth” and type back words on the web it takes you to a website called NASA. NASA is such a joke and a waste of our tax dollars.
Lisa,
You can see the insanity of the general population by some of these comments. Those will be the first ones to buy the farm when the crap hits the fan. Having a certain amount of knowledge and intellect can allow survival. Acuity and discernment obviously must be an extremely rare trait. Because those two things lead to knowledge, and knowledge leads to wisdom. Unfortunately, there’s not a pinch of wisdom in the car load. Too bad! Willfully ignorant and willfully delusional clowns make perfect cannon fodder! You see it in science, you see it in politics, and you see it in many of these religions of today. Humanity repeats the same ignorance over and over again! And yet, we are supposed to be the apex life form on this planet, lol, not! Most animals, if they have a choice, won’t poop where they live. Humans enjoy pooping where they live and on each other! If it wasn’t so sadly and disgustingly ignorant, it would be funny! In the end though, it’s just pathetic!
Ya but wouldn’t it be easy to find his solitary brain cell since you know it’s the only one ..I know it’s tiny and all but still
Poor little solitary underworked brain cell
Thank you Lisa for that beautiful statement.
Perhaps it wasn’t an asteroid maybe that’s just what they’re telling you.
Perhaps it wasn’t an asteroid maybe that’s just what they’re telling you.
Perhaps it wasn’t an asteroid maybe that’s just what they’re telling you.
THAT WAS MY BABY YOU SONOFAB**CH….Ill find you mark my words…
Bonjour
Useful data
I bet the aliens flying around up there in those squid and tiktak uap are getting a good laugh watching us chase the laser pointer like a cat with these asteroids. LOL 😆
Baby steps lead to large leaps and bounds. Look what we’ve accomplished in the past 200 years. Give it time
What about apophis?
What is that
Thumbs up!
Thanks for your witty question. I’m sarneczy, the night-sky gazer who detected the asteroid 2024 bx1. Apophis, the infamous potentially hazardous asteroid has been investigated and found to be a threat to the planet. Regretablly, the worst part is it’s heading for America. So, if you’re currently residing there, I’ll strongly advise you to move away.
This isn’t a joke
Hope all are ready for this be ready to impress ur maker
I AM
Born again 8/10/1985 in the visible in Orem Utah still in SLC ahh Hello my ass that put water on Mars ya know Life water and that’s my halo up there ya know Read Ir
Why are all the commenters complete idiots?
Oh! Really? So you prefer to have yourself splattered or your property nuked into smatters by an asteroid impact, turd?
It appears that a good majority of the comments are coming from juveniles. Juveniles enjoy pranking and being smart asses.
U know?
Why do you say none for the next 100 years. That’s completely false
I thought it was very interesting reading
I clicked to see the asteroid shine and fade.
We witnessed just a Nano of Jehovah’s glory.
Who was, and is, and is to come! AMEN!!!
I thought it was a good read. Small objects are extremely difficult to observe we were lucky that they were successful. I was lucky enough to see a larger object breakthrough the atmosphere and impact in Alaska in 1991. I was living in Whistler BC at the time it was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen. We spend so much money on war yet nothing on the possibility of meteor impact. We are so under prepared if something eminent was to happen, at least they were looking good for them good job keep up the good work.
I never new this there are objects everywhere you see then and wanna crash into them 😀 think I like hurricanes and would throw something at them you would hide though and then bury yourself i think i would commit suicide because of everyone i dont know
You enjoy using AI to write out your comment? Or do you just enjoy being a doofus? An accidental doofus? Or, a willful doofus? More like a useless doofus!
Only the foolish and the simple use intelligence to belittle those without it. You are no less childish to dignify such obvious fools. Only fools measure themselves by fools. Here’s a bit of that wisdom you spoke of, even the smartest fish can be caught by the simplest fisherman if they use the right bait. Sadly my friend, you took the bait. You are smart, but a lack of ignorance does not imply a wealth of intelligence.
Huh?!
A good friend of mine co-discovered Apophis. It will come close to the earth but not impact it for more than 70 years. He also has over 800 discoveries of near earth objects. His name was Roy Tucker and he made the discoveries from his backyard observatory with one of 7 telescopes he had.
The most profound statement ever made is ‘ History Repeats Itself ‘ it has happened before and will most certainly happen again and again the biggest difference is the technology we possess now enables us to be more aware of our impending doom
I’m going to borrow the great words of wisdom from a crackhead of years past; “can’t we all just get along?”
Rodney King
Define planet
It states that the orbital path has been cleared,
Since there are NEO’s and impacts daily
I think it’s time to
redefine what a planet is,
I thought your comment was funny. Then again I have a sarcastic,dry,dark sense of humor.
Something doesn’t need to be in the orbital path of a planet to impact it. You think all asteroids are stationary and we’re just running into them? “Near” doesn’t mean directly in front of or in the way of. Everything, and I mean everything in space is in motion. There is no such thing as a stationary object and that means that eventually collisions will occur.
It seems like a lot of these comments are being submitted by drug addicts who severely need a supernap.
Says Tom Fool-ery! Ha ha
Hey, I’m a drug addict, and I resent being compared to these completely and utterly worthless morons.
Just because I dull my senses, and my pain, with illicit substances doesn’t mean I’m an uneducated hick from Arkansas.
I’m from Oklahoma, thank you.
Word!!! Preach! Addicts are often even more intelligent and interesting than normies
Who else will stay up all nite and day doing the real work!
The fact that u read these comments all the way thru means I am now less intelligent than I was 5 min ago. That’s what I get for clicking on anything Google suggests. I should have known. Keep up all the insiteful participation in a Science education all you comment sluts.
Ya know I read a lot. I find myself particularly fascinated by this whole asteroid scenario with apophis. I was watching a lecture that Neil Degrasse Tyson was doing on apophis and he stated, rather clearly, that nobody is 100% sure about it. The math checks out, but there is a pretty large margin for error in the trajectory. Sorry but anything over 5%, to me, is huge. Here, I have to agree with Juan Escalon. That little bit of a two hour warning? Ya. We’d be toast. And I can’t remember who said something about there not being a large number of the larger NEOs. But that is a big Pyle of crap. It’s space. That’s like saying you won’t bust your head on a rock if you fall into a quarry. It’s crap. We need a better warning system for this type of thing, and I’ll say this. I’m prepped. I’m ready. I have my little room hollowed out and filled with water and food and enough survival gear. And even weapons to defend against the zombie apocalypse. Or whatever. I’ll bet nobody else in these comments has any of that. Yes history does repeat itself. So we’d all be total idiots to not have a shipping container buried somewhere full of gear. Because this happened off of the Yucatan last time, and most species on earth at that time are now fossils. That being said why arent we developing a warning system for this? Oh, that’s right. The power of stupid people in large groups. I forgot. Whatever. Don’t come asking me for gear because you’ll end up in one of my snares.
Neil is Woke!
Now that’s hilarious. Nothing funnier than people who have an issue with something but lack the means and know how to actually contribute to an improvement. Look at it like this, your opinion of your life is high, but your opinion of people doing the best they can to try and keep you as safe as possible is low. But they’ll still do their best regardless of your opinions even though as far as being someone who could make any difference in this area, you would be absolutely worthless. You would have no value at all beyond that of your opinion. So how about say thanks guys for taking steps to be better at what you’re doing, even though you yourself do nothing of worth.
EXACTLY
Elijah if I were you I’d be inclined to add sunlamp to your doomsday prep.
Remember umpteen thousand years of darkness.
Hopefully the Yellowstone Caldera will finish us off first!!
At least we’re on the right side of the planet for that.
Tunguska was roughly 100 yrs ago. And we shouldnt be here with that snowball the blew apart just prior to wiping out everyone’s ancestors.
It’s all a crap shoot!
But, know that the astronomer who discovers the next big rock our solar system throws at us will probably get shot to crap by the men in black to avoid societal breakdown and allow the chosen to make it to the bunkers.
(Water treatment plant between I-5 and hwy 99 starts about south of Florin Rd.
Look for the big trucks of supplies and buses full of the chosen rolling underground in that general area.
Just avoid the national guard bullets coming toward you cause you don’t have a golden ticket!!
What I think is funny is the fact that yuppies like you(because, clearly, you’re a judgemental yuppie)look down on, and talk shit about anyone who does anything that they disagree with in any way. Or people that do things that they don’t understand. What do you contribute to besides stealing oxygen from those of us with a brain, and trolling comments with nothing positive to say? Yet you speak to me of positive contributions? Why would I contribute anything positive to a population who has the same mindset as you, or worse? We’ve KNOWN the trajectory of apophis for quite a while. We have two of the most sophisticated pieces of optics in orbit that the world has ever seen. These telescopes, (the JWST, specifically) is strong enough to have seen light from the Big Bang. So basically we have the technology to literally see into the past. Kind of. The light from the past, if not actually looking back in time. Potayto, pototto. That being said, I’m supposed to congratulate someone for two hours notice? We have radar that can literally see balloons. Party balloons. And you’re basically saying I’m just being an opinionated a**hole. Correct? You’re ridiculous, and the only thing that you’ve EVER contributed to is the migraine that you just caused me from having to read your pathetic excuse of a jab at me.
It would be truly impressive if an asteroid is detected, precise impact location pinpointed and finally…discovered asteroid caught in a field like a cricket ball. Will need video evidence of course! Joking aside, it’s truly remarkable that amateur observations contribute so much to the astronomical science. I hope to have a good telescope one day.
I thought your comment was funny. Then again I have a sarcastic,dry,dark sense of humor.
I just worry more about that foretold near future by the ancient astronomies the end of our current Anno Magnus in (2)5,793 A.M. and the end of our current 5th Age of Sun in 2028! Two major cycles with Cat+astro+phy??? In 40 years, I had unravelled a lot hidden stuff from the ignorrant and unaware public in this ” royal science” field!
If you know it they know it.Don’t be afraid.
No you haven’t. You make connections where there are none and at best grasp at straws. You’re not privy to any information that others aren’t. You aren’t more clever, you aren’t unraveling any mystery. Just stop.
I thought the article was interesting, these comments are like a fever dream though. Seriously though, are these commenters even real?? Most of the comments are either complete nonsense or complete stupidity. Only person that seems real was Lisa.
I don’t know, I’m pretty sure John was real, I am sure that the disappointment in myself is very real for having read all of the comments thus far. That being said, John did make a very real reference to feces, and what I can only attribute to his kinks, human toilets…. im pretty sure that’s found on completely different websites. Not that I’d know…. wait… nobody can see the tabs I have up, right,,, oh cr@p… insert foot in mouth…
It’s, open mouth, insert foot
A great source of information can be found by anyone seeking valid info on near earth objects, solar activity, and a myriad of truths connected to “outer space”. Search space weather .com. Enjoy and be educated
The fact that you put Outer Space in quotes, implying that there’s no such thing, is more than enough reason for me to not read anything you suggest.
I’m not concerned with asteroids heading r wY, I’m concerned about the ones they don’t tell us about.
Aliens took all my money, help me, send the asteroid at my face, I think perhaps the thing was found years ago, why does he get to name it.
Aliens took all my money, help me, send the asteroid at my face, I think perhaps the thing was found years ago, why does he get to name it.
You people are insane just a bunch of wackos except for Lisa and would be the first ones to go.
I just don’t understand why ignorant uneducated bored people comment on stuff that they obviously don’t know a goddamn thing about. Like someone else said baby steps lead to bigger steps one step at a time. In my meaningless opinion negative people need you to shut the f*** up. Go watch Tick Tock some of your stupid Simple Minds can f***ing understand
Asteroid Apophis (as is called by Nasa) 4 NFL football fields wide 370 metres (the Bible calls it “Wormwood”) is expected to hit the earth on Friday, the 13th April 2029. See Revelation 8 verses 10 – 11. Reference Dr. Thomas Horn (recently deceased) This is a serious subject not to joke around with and worthy to be researched.
Take your myth elsewhere. We already know what Apophis is composed of, and it’s nothing that would Poison the rivers and the streams as your storybook claims.
Juan. Go to a Walmart parking lot, you’ll find what you need.
Trey, I like the way you think. These so-called intelectuals are just showing their stupity by sake of empty arguments..
Hi I have for sale one assterroid decter for the small price of 1 million dollars. Please call 1 800 bunchofiditos
Rip Van Winkle and Ray Ramano on this useless thread of information y’all. let’s all get naked and have a taboo orgy of body fluid exchanges to celebrate the upcoming good times BABY!
” I don’t know, I’m pretty sure John was real, I am sure that the disappointment in myself is very real for having read all of the comments thus far. That being said, John did make a very real reference to feces, and what I can only attribute to his kinks, human toilets…. im pretty sure that’s found on completely different websites. Not that I’d know…. wait… nobody can see the tabs I have up, right,,, oh cr@p… insert foot in mouth… ”
Y’all CAN see the tabs i have open!!!!
BTW. Address?? I can bring rope, paddles, a Symbian machine and Tostitos…
Early detection is clearly an important factor in vectoring in risk of baby punching , one could ask how is it that space x has a digital net scanning away over our wee planet ,would it not be prudent to piggy back a detection system facing outwards into the abyss ?
Reading these comments, I have found another way to understand just how ignorant and uninformed so many people are. I’m now in my late 60s, I retired from IBM in 2005 after an excellent and exciting career. I was an IBM sales representative based in Los Angeles in a Large Account branch office located on the 22nd floor of the South Wells Fargo Tower. IBM occupied several floors of the South Tower at the time. Our branch covered 14 of IBM’s largest Accounts with headquarters in the Los Angeles area. I learned early on that being an IBMer required an above intelligence with the ability to articulate your thoughts very precisely. There was and probably still is an internal language we called “IBMeze”. We could converse with each other and our Large clients using certain words that meant much more to us than the words face value. Working with people in the IT industry means you are smarter than the average person on the street and that of course carried over into our personal lives to the point where you tend to surround yourself with others that are the same way and wanted little to do with people who didn’t think the same way. I now see being an IBMer shields us from those people that don’t think at the level we do. When I read comments left at sites all over the internet I can see clearly just how uneducated so many people are. It’s kinda scary to see the lack of reading and writing skills on such a large scale in America. So many people have no writing skills at all and that I’m sure carries over into other aspects of their lives, and I have to believe it effects their decision making. That would suggest there are a lot of people making very bad decisions about life in general, and that has to have an impact on our day to day quality of life. These are the same people we see driving in their cars. They are the same people we see in our public places, and yes, these are the same people that vote in our elections. It would appear we are in big trouble. This means there are millions of people that haven’t got a clue about what’s going on in the world. How do we get are arms around all that? Plus, and this is a big plus we see less and less qualified candidates running for all our leadership offices. One doesn’t have to look too far to see those implications. Pretty scary right? I think if I was elected, my first order of business would be to immediately address our education situation, or the lack there of. We need help now!!! Wow! To think all this started after reading comments about a metor so small it has no significance to our lives. People it’s time to make some big changes. BTW, at this point, I chose not to run.
I have to say this, I don’t recall when exactly but years ago I had read an article that it was predicted that an asteroid would hit the Earth on April 13, 2024. The reason why it stuck in my head so long is because it would be on my 54th Birthday. Things like that will stick if you know what I mean!
Dang….That close to the “federal” reserve bank… Better luck never time! Lol
Seen on the Internet suggested that a comet 4miles in diameter was spotted by NASA & had a 71% chance of hitting Earth on Sept 2 2024
Amazing info
William M: How do we get are arms around all that? I think you meant “our”. 😂