Earthsky.org -1/2/14, Deborah Byrd
Map of the possible impact points of 2014 AA, produced by astronomer Bill Gray. The asteroid could have impacted Earth’s atmosphere anywhere along this line. Most likely landing place is off the west coast of Africa, in the Atlantic Ocean.
This is only the second time that astronomers spotted an asteroid before it struck Earth’s atmosphere. It underscores the need to be watching for these objects.
Astronomers are saying that a very small asteroid probably burned up harmlessly in our atmosphere just hours ago, after being discovered by astronomers on New Year’s Eve/Day (exact date depending on your time zone). They’ve labeled the object 2014 AA, because it’s the first asteroid to have been discovered this year. The Minor Planet Center announced that the asteroid – which was believed to be from about 1 to 5 meters across – struck Earth’s atmosphere at around 05:00 UTC today (January 2, 2014). That’s around midnight in the U.S. East. The asteroid is thought to have burned up over the Atlantic Ocean, probably off the coast of western Africa.
