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.
A bright fireball was seen and recorded streaking through the night sky over the northern tip of Long Island, New York at 02:08 UTC on April 27, 2024 (22:08 LT, April 26).
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.
