1、Click Here for Support with using Interactive PDFsDaily NewsAsteroid Spotted Before Entering AtmosphereOn Friday 8th March,an asteroid around half the size of a giraffe hit Earths atmosphere.The asteroid is thought to have struck the Earths atmosphere at 21:22.This happened 300 miles above Norways J
2、an Mayen Island,which is uninhabited.The asteroid,named 2022 EB5,was noticed a couple of hours before by scientist Krisztin Sarneczky from an observatory in Hungary.At 19:24 he was using a 60cm telescope when he observed a bright,fast-moving object zooming through the sky.After observing the object
3、a few times,he sent his findings to the Minor Planet Center,US.They then recorded the finding and named the asteroid.At 20:25,the European Space Agencys own observations system known as Meerkat also noticed the object.They suggested that the asteroid had a 100%chance of hitting the Earths atmosphere
4、.They observed the object and estimated that it was 3 metres wide.This is not large for an asteroid and would cause little damage if it were to impact Earth.Scientists think that the asteroid burned up in the Earths atmosphere.As it is estimated to have been travelling at 11 miles per second,it woul
5、d have become extremely hot.This will have caused it to burn brightly as it travelled through the sky.This is also known as a shooting star.People in Iceland claim to have been able to see the fireball as it passed through the Earths atmosphere.However,scientists are yet to find any fragments of the
6、 asteroid.This is good news for scientists.It is only the fifth asteroid to have been spotted before entering the Earths atmosphere.Although small objects enter the atmosphere regularly,it is unusual for such a small object to be noticed.So,if you like to observe the sky at night,who knows,you might
7、 just notice the sixth-ever object before it enters the Earths atmosphere!Illustration:An asteroid.Glossaryatmosphere The gases that surround a planet.observatory A building which houses a large telescope.estimated A prediction made with evidence.fragmentsSmall parts of something.Science World News
8、21st March 2022What is an asteroid?Asteroids are small rocky objects that orbit theSun.They are thought to be material left overfrom the time when planets formed.They are mainly found in the asteroid belt,between Mars and Jupiter.Most asteroids areonly small but some are hundreds of miles wide.Quest
9、ions1.What animal was the size of the asteroid compared to?2.How do you think the scientist,Krisztin Sarneczky,felt when he spotted the asteroid?Explain your answer?3.Tick each statement to show whether it is a fact or an opinion.FactOpinionThe asteroid was called 2022 EB5.Asteroids are fascinating.
10、Asteroids are scary.Asteroids can be miles wide.4.What is meant by the phrase“100%chance of hitting the Earth”?5.Do you think more asteroids will be spotted before entering the Earths atmosphere?Explain your answer.6.Summarise the key information in the article in 15 words or fewer.Asteroid Spotted Before Entering Atmosphere
