Near-Earth objects and close calls

[Gaby]

Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs) are space rocks larger than approximately 100m that can come closer to Earth than 0.05 AU (7479894 km).

On March 4, 2026 there were 2349 potentially hazardous asteroids.

On March 4, 2016 there were 1682 potentially hazardous asteroids.

On 4 Mar 2006 there were 776 known Potentially Hazardous Asteroids.

Source: SpaceWeather.com -- News and information about meteor showers, solar flares, auroras, and near-Earth asteroids

 

[Eboard10]

A meteor was seen across the skies of Germany and the Netherlands shortly before 7pm this evening.

Here's a couple of few video clips posted on X, the first one taken in Germany and the second one in Rotterdam, NL.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2030718770864423119

https://twitter.com/x/status/2030711375081656612

 

[Oxajil]

A meteor was seen across the skies of Germany and the Netherlands shortly before 7pm this evening.

Here's a couple of few video clips posted on X, the first one taken in Germany and the second one in Rotterdam, NL.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2030718770864423119

https://twitter.com/x/status/2030711375081656612

Dutch media reports that fragments damaged some roofs and houses in Germany:

(AI translation)

Fragments of a meteorite cause damage to roofs and houses in Germany

Fragments of a meteorite damaged roofs and houses in western Germany on Sunday evening, the German police reported. Damage reports came in from several regions in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate after a striking fireball was seen in the sky.

According to the police, damage was reported in areas including the Hunsrück, Eifel, and around Koblenz. Eyewitnesses saw a bright light phenomenon that was visible for several seconds on Sunday evening. It was widely reported on social media.

In the Netherlands as well, people in several places reported seeing a bright streak of light in the sky. According to Weerplaza meteorologist Wouter van Bernebeek, it was most likely a meteor — a piece of space debris that burns up in the atmosphere and leaves a yellow trail of light. A meteorite is the part of a meteor that reaches Earth without completely burning up in the atmosphere.

The Working Group Meteors, a national association of amateur meteor observers, is calling on people to report their sightings. The observation map has already collected several hundred reports. Most came from the Netherlands, but sightings were also recorded in Belgium, Germany, France, and Luxembourg.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2030934359579230288

 

[Gawan]

Dutch media reports that fragments damaged some roofs and houses in Germany:

(AI translation)

https://twitter.com/x/status/2030934359579230288

Yes, so far it is reported that at least one roof got hit or several houses. Still, no definite answer yet.

 

[Gaby]

A meteor was seen across the skies of Germany and the Netherlands shortly before 7pm this evening.

Here's a couple of few video clips posted on X, the first one taken in Germany and the second one in Rotterdam, NL.

Dutch media reports that fragments damaged some roofs and houses in Germany:

es, so far it is reported that at least one roof got hit or several houses. Still, no definite answer yet.

More information via XRAS.ru. Make sure to check their video compilation!

A large meteorite measuring between one and several meters in diameter broke up and fell over Europe

There are numerous reports of a large fireball flying over Western Europe yesterday, March 8, at around 9 p.m. Moscow time. The flight was accompanied by flashes and sound effects and was captured by numerous stationary cameras and eyewitnesses' mobile phones.

A large 5-minute compilation of observations is available via a direct link (50 MB) on our website. The video attached to the message shows a panoramic view from Rotterdam (Netherlands) against the backdrop of the cityscape and Erasmus Bridge.

The object moved from southwest to northeast and was visible in the sky over Germany, France, Switzerland, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. Based on the photos received, the brightness of the fireball near the epicenter can be estimated at a magnitude of minus 15 to minus 20, which is hundreds of times brighter than the full moon. Based on the video, the size of the meteorite ranges from one to several (2-3) meters. The rock initially entered the Earth's atmosphere at an altitude of about 80 kilometers and was observed for approximately 10 seconds. At an altitude of 40 to 20 km, the body actively broke up into fragments in the area of the cities of Koblenz and Frankfurt am Main (Germany), accompanied by bright flashes. In Koblenz, one of the fragments, several centimeters in size, pierced the roof of a residential building. Reports of falling fragments also came from other regions of Germany, confirming that the object broke into many small pieces and that some of the debris continued to move after the breakup.

The event evokes many associations with the observation of a similar fireball on October 27, 2025, which flew north of Moscow over the territory of the Vologda, Yaroslavl, Tver, and Novgorod regions, and was also captured on numerous stationary cameras and video recorders, which ultimately made it possible to determine its trajectory and the center of the debris scatter with good accuracy. One of the fragments, which also pierced the roof of a house at that time, was subsequently found 50 km from this center in the vicinity of the village of Okulovka.

So they really need the war to disguise celestial intentions, eh?