Asteroid 2023 LM1 to fly past Earth at 0.28 LD
A newly-discovered asteroid designated 2023 LM1 will fly past Earth at a distance of 0.28 LD / 0.00074 AU (110 444 km / 68 627 miles) at 22:41 UTC on June 15, 2023.
Teo Blašković founded The Watchers in 2011 and edited it until 2026, covering seismic and volcanic activity, extreme weather, space weather and near-Earth objects. Articles on this page are his archive.
The Weekly Volcanic Activity Report: June 7 – 13, 2023
New activity/unrest was reported for 6 volcanoes from June 7 to 13, 2023. During the same period, ongoing activity was reported for 14 volcanoes.
Strong M6.3 earthquake hits Mindoro, Philippines at intermediate depth
A strong earthquake registered by PHIVOLCS as M6.3 hit Mindoro, Philippines at 02:19 UTC (10:19 LT) on June 15, 2023. The agency is reporting a depth of 119 km (74 miles). USGS is reporting M6.2 at a depth of 112 km (69 miles), EMSC M6.2 at 119 km (74 miles).
Lava starts flowing from the summit crater of Mayon volcano, Philippines
After increased unrest detected since June 5, the activity at Mayon volcano in the Philippines increased further on June 11 with lava flowing from the summit crater.
Asteroid 2023 LS flew past Earth at 0.2 LD on June 9
A newly-discovered asteroid designated 2023 LD flew past Earth at a distance of 0.23 LD / 0.00059 AU (88 949 km / 55 271 miles) at 00:59 UTC on June 9, 2023. This is the 38th known asteroid to fly past Earth within 1 lunar distance since the start of the year and the 2nd so far this month.
Strong M6.2 earthquake hits Hokkaido, Japan
A strong earthquake registered by the JMA as M6.2 hit Hokkaido, Japan at 09:54 UTC on June 11, 2023. The agency is reporting a depth of 140 km (87 miles). USGS is reporting M5.2 at a depth of 123 km (76 miles), EMSC M6.2 at a depth of 112 km (69 miles).
Nearly 17 000 people evacuating due to unrest at Mayon volcano, Philippines
The Mayon volcano in the province of Albay, Bicol Region, central Philippines, is showing signs of increased activity since June 5, 2023, when the Alert Level was raised to 2. On June 8, the Alert Level was raised to 3, prompting authorities to issue evacuation orders for all residents living within a 6 km (6 miles) radius of the crater — about 17 000 people. Another 40 000 people will have to evacuate if the Alert Level is raised to 4.
The Weekly Volcanic Activity Report: May 31 – June 6, 2023
New activity/unrest was reported for 7 volcanoes from May 31 to June 6, 2023. During the same period, ongoing activity was reported for 22 volcanoes.
New eruption starts at Kilauea volcano, Hawaii
At approximately 14:44 UTC (04:44 HST) on June 7, 2023, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) detected a glow in Kīlauea summit webcam images indicating that an eruption has commenced within Halemaʻumaʻu crater in Kīlauea’s summit caldera, within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.
Increased earthquake activity, ground deformation at Kilauea volcano, Hawaii
Increased earthquake activity and changes in the patterns of ground deformation at Kīlauea’s summit began occurring on June 7, 2023, indicating the movement of magma in the subsurface.
