On April 21, 2024, Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, commonly referred to as the ‘Devil Comet,’ will reach its perihelion, the closest point to the Sun, at a distance of 0.785 astronomical units (117 million km / 73 million miles). This celestial event will allow the comet to be visible just after sunset within the Taurus constellation, marking its peak visibility period.
A bright fireball was seen over Toledo and Avila, Spain at 19:51 UTC on April 17, 2024. The fireball was observed by a wide number of casual eyewitnesses, who reported it on social networks. This event follows an impressive fireball over Andalusia on April 14.
A newly-discovered asteroid designated 2024 HA flew past Earth at a distance of just 0.4 LD / 0.00010 AU (15 550 km / 9 662 miles) at 17:42 UTC on April 16, 2024.
In March 2021, NASA ground controllers deployed the International Space Station’s (ISS) robotic arm to discard a cargo pallet (EP-9) containing obsolete nickel hydride batteries, following upgrades to lithium-ion units. This operation set a record for the heaviest item jettisoned from the ISS. While the entire pallet was expected to disintegrate before reaching Earth’s surface, a fragment of this hardware survived atmospheric re-entry and struck a residence in Naples, Florida, in March 2024.
A bright fireball streaked through the night sky over New York, U.S. at 01:08 UTC on April 14, 2024 (21:08 LT, April 13). The event lasted between 3 and 7 seconds.
A newly-discovered asteroid 2024 GX3 flew past Earth at a distance of 0.18 LD / 0.00048 AU (71 560 km / 44 465 miles) from the center of our planet at 08:27 UTC on April 10, 2024. This is the 27th known asteroid to fly past Earth within 1 lunar distance since the start of the year.
A newly-discovered asteroid designated 2024 GV2 flew past Earth at a distance of 0.28 LD / 0.00072 AU (107 573 km / 66 843 miles) at 04:17 UTC on April 10, 2024. This is the 26th known asteroid to fly past Earth within 1 lunar distance since the start of the year.
A very bright fireball streaked through the sky over the Netherlands at 19:57 UTC (21:57 LT) on April 10, 2024. The event lasted around 4 seconds.
A very bright fireball was recorded over New Jersey, U.S. at 07:44 UTC (03:44 LT) on April 10, 2024. The event lasted between 3 and 7 seconds.
A newly-discovered asteroid designated 2024 GJ2 will fly past Earth at a distance of just 0.05 LD / 0.00013 AU (18 700 km / 11 620 miles) at 18:33 UTC on April 11, 2024. This is the 25th known asteroid to fly past Earth within 1 lunar distance since the start of the year.
