Asteroid CAQTDL2 will strike Earth's atmosphere on September 4, 2024 at 16:46 UTC (9:46 AM PDT).
Discovered just eight hours ago by research technologist Jacqueline Fazekas at the Catalina Sky Survey in Arizona, the 1-meter long CAQTDL2 will slam into the Earth's atmosphere over the Philippines. "It's expected to create a bright fireball for anyone watching," reports EarthSky.
This is only the 9th time an asteroid has been spotted before striking Earth. The asteroid is not considered dangerous due to its small size and is expected to burn up harmlessly in the atmosphere.
I tried to learn how the asteroid was named CAQTDL2, but Google and Perplexity were of no help. Fortunately, Chatty G came to the rescue. CAQTDL2 stands for Cantankerous Astronauts Quench Their Donut Lust.
Previously:
• Would you kill to stop an asteroid panic? I asked the creators of Salvation
