A new auroral phenomenon, potentially a twin of the STEVE aurora, was discovered in Norway on December 28, 2021. The finding, confirmed by ESA’s Swarm satellite data, reveals an eastward stream of hot gases at dawn, similar to the westward stream seen at dusk.
A newly-discovered asteroid designated 2024 LH1 flew past Earth at a distance of just 0.021 LD / 0.00005 AU (8 098 km / 5 032 miles) from the center of our planet at 14:02 UTC on June 6, 2024.
A bright fireball was recorded over Spain at 21:03 UTC (23:03 LT) on May 29, 2024, caused by a meteoroid from an asteroid entering Earth’s atmosphere at 57 000 km/h (35 400 mph). The fireball was seen over the province of Cuenca.
A bright green fireball illuminated the night sky over Montana, U.S., at approximately 05:45 UTC on May 21, 2024 (23:45 LT, May 20).
An exceptionally bright meteor was seen over Spain and Portugal at 22:46 UTC on May 18, 2024 (00:46 local time, May 19), lighting up the night sky with a bright blue glow for several seconds and leaving a persistent trail in its wake.
A newly-discovered asteroid designated 2024 JN16 will fly past Earth at a very close distance of 0.06 LD / 0.00017 AU (24 912 km / 15 480 miles) from the center of our planet at 09:50 UTC on May 14, 2024. This takes it just about 18 500 km (11 500 miles) from the surface, well within orbits of geostationary satellites — ~36 000 km (22 000 miles).
A newly-discovered asteroid designated 2024 JT3 will fly past Earth at a distance of just 0.07 LD / 0.00017 AU (24 710 km / 15 976 miles) from the center of our planet at 09:34 UTC on May 9, 2024.
Two near-Earth asteroids, designated 2024 JR1 and 2024 JD, are set to make a close approach to Earth between May 7 and May 8, 2024. Both asteroids will come within less than the distance of the moon (1 LD), with 2024 JR1 approaching at about 0.72 LD (295 000 km / 183 700 miles) and 2024 JD at approximately 0.77 LD (275 800 km / 171 415 miles).
A bright meteor was observed streaking across the night sky in the Great Lakes area at 03:36 UTC on May 4, 2024 (23:36 EDT, May 3).
The Eta Aquariids meteor shower is anticipated to reach its peak on May 5, 2024. Observers may witness an unusually high number of meteors this year, thanks to debris from Halley’s Comet ejected some 2 500 years ago and minimal lunar light interference, providing optimal viewing conditions.
