11-19-2020, 09:18 AM
Thanks for that, SBH. As the article you link says, this one came from our blind spot, plus it was small. But it does show that we are vulnerable to asteroids that come from that direction (i.e., from the direction of the sun). In this particular case, even if the asteroid had hit us, it wouldn't have been catastrophic as it was too small, but it would have been quite a light show to anyone nearby.
Asteroids of this size (around the size of a small bus) do hit the planet annually. Because most of the planet is uninhabited, they don't get noticed. The last one I'm aware of that entered the atmosphere and exploded over a populated area was over an unpronounceable city in Russia:
https://youtu.be/dpmXyJrs7iU
Downright frightening if you were there, I'm still in awe of some of the people taking the videos, they seemed to handle it so calmly, but this does happen more than you think it might except it occurs with no-one around.
Asteroids of this size (around the size of a small bus) do hit the planet annually. Because most of the planet is uninhabited, they don't get noticed. The last one I'm aware of that entered the atmosphere and exploded over a populated area was over an unpronounceable city in Russia:
https://youtu.be/dpmXyJrs7iU
Downright frightening if you were there, I'm still in awe of some of the people taking the videos, they seemed to handle it so calmly, but this does happen more than you think it might except it occurs with no-one around.