00:00Recently, this was the scene in the skies over the Philippines, as an unexpected asteroid
00:09ripped through the atmosphere and lit up the sky as it burned up.
00:13Experts say this type of surprise is extremely rare, as astronomers around the world are
00:17constantly tracking incoming space rocks.
00:19However, every once in a while one gets through, and this one was epic.
00:23The asteroid has now been named 2024 RW1, and despite initial reports indicating a touchdown,
00:29it actually didn't.
00:30Experts at NASA say it burned up in its entirety before making an impact.
00:34Those same experts say it measured around 3.2 feet in diameter and entered the atmosphere
00:39over the island of Luzon.
00:40According to the ESA, this is only the ninth asteroid that humankind has ever spotted before
00:45impact.
00:46And this isn't the first surprise one either.
00:47In 2013, an 18-ton asteroid entered our atmosphere and exploded over a city in Russia.
00:54The resulting debris caused massive damage to the area, with around 1,500 people requiring
00:59medical assistance in the wake of the asteroid event.
01:01A not-so-gentle reminder of just how wild and chaotic the cosmos can be.
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