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#Space #Research #Physics

Amateur astronomers help track asteroid to French impact site

Amateur astronomers aided scientists in tracking asteroid 2023 CX1, which disintegrated over France, providing insights into its atmospheric breakup.
Amateur astronomers help track asteroid to French impact site
A What happened
On February 13, 2023, asteroid 2023 CX1, weighing 650 kilograms and less than a meter wide, disintegrated over northwestern France. Amateur astronomers, alongside professionals, tracked its descent, providing critical data on its breakup. The asteroid fragmented violently at approximately 28 kilometers altitude, losing 98% of its mass in two stages. This event marked a rare opportunity to study asteroid disintegration, with around a dozen meteorites recovered for analysis. The collaboration between scientists and the public, including contributions from social media, enabled unprecedented observation of the phenomenon. The findings, published in Nature Astronomy, highlight the potential risks associated with such fragmentation, which could cause more damage than gradual disintegration. This incident underscores the importance of tracking small asteroids and understanding their behavior as they enter Earth's atmosphere.

Key insights

  • 1

    Asteroid Fragmentation Observed

    Asteroid 2023 CX1's breakup provided insights into atmospheric disintegration.

  • 2

    Collaboration with Amateur Astronomers

    Public contributions enhanced data collection and observation accuracy.

  • 3

    Meteorite Recovery

    Around a dozen meteorites were collected for scientific study.

  • 4

    Potential Impact Risks

    The fragmentation process poses different risks compared to gradual disintegration.

Takeaways

The tracking of asteroid 2023 CX1 illustrates the value of collaboration in advancing scientific understanding of space phenomena.