Asteroid 2023 HT to fly past Earth at 0.4 LD
A newly-discovered asteroid designated 2023 HT will fly past Earth at a distance of 0.46 LD / 0.00119 AU (177 830 km / 110 499 miles) at 16:17 UTC on April 18, 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.
Massive landslide caused by lightning hits Pakistan, burying about two dozen trucks
A massive landslide hit a key highway in northwestern Pakistan on Thursday, April 18, 2023, burying about two dozen trucks. As of early Thursday, rescuers have discovered the lifeless bodies of two individuals, while the fate of an undetermined number of missing persons remains uncertain. Local officials said it looks like the entire mountain has collapsed.
Deep M6.6 earthquake hits south of the Fiji Islands
A deep earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.6 hit south of the Fiji Islands at 04:31 UTC on April 18, 2023. The agency is reporting a depth of 562.5 km (349 miles). EMSC is reporting M6.5 at a depth of 576 km (358 miles).
Mass stranding of rough-toothed dolphins in Far North, New Zealand
A pod of 25 rough-toothed dolphins stranded on a reef at Tauroa Point at the southern end of 90 Mile Beach, New Zealand’s Far North District on April 17, 2023. A stranding of this size for this species is unprecedented.
Wildfires along French-Spanish border force hundreds to evacuate
A wildfire that started on April 15, 2023, in the northern Cerbère area of Cap Peyrefitte in France, quickly spread to neighboring Spain, causing evacuations and significant damage in both countries.
Asteroid 2023 HH to fly past Earth at 0.3 LD on April 18
A newly-discovered asteroid designated 2023 HH will fly past Earth at a distance of 0.3 LD / 0.00096 AU (143 839 km / 89 280 miles) at 12:49 UTC on April 18, 2023.
7 fatalities, 6 missing after widespread floods hit Tanzania
Heavy rainfall has been affecting western Tanzania, particularly the Rukwa Region, since April 12, 2023, causing river overflows and floods that have resulted in casualties and damage.
Asteroid 2023 HB flew past Earth at 0.5 LD
A newly-discovered asteroid designated 2023 HB flew past Earth at a distance of 0.5 LD / 0.00130 AU (195 073 km / 121 212 miles) at 06:58 UTC on April 17, 2023.
Bright daylight fireball explodes over Israel, sonic boom reported
A bright daylight fireball was seen flashing across the sky over Israel around 14:16 UTC on April 16, 2023.
Ash produced by major eruption at Sheveluch grounds flights in Alaska
Ash clouds produced by the major eruption of Russia’s Sheveluch volcano led to the cancellation of scores of flights in Alaska. The ash clouds drifted across the International Date Line into Alaska airspace, causing safety concerns for airlines over the next couple of days. As a precautionary measure, Alaska Airlines canceled 45 flights to and from Alaska and within the state. Other airlines also had to cancel or delay their flights.
