Small meteor lights up Philippine sky

An asteroid, dubbed “2024 RW1,” passed through and lit up the sky over Gonzaga City, Cagayan, at around 12.39am on Thursday, Sept 5. - Photo: Courtesy of Allan Madelar/Facebook

MANILA: A small, bright meteor lit up skies over the northern Philippines early Thursday (Sept 5) as it burned up entering the Earth’s atmosphere, the European Space Agency and witnesses said.

The one-meter (3.3-foot) space rock, named 2024 RW1, collided with the Earth’s atmosphere shortly after midnight (1639 GMT Wednesday) and caused a “harmless” but “spectacular fireball” over the Philippines’ Luzon island, the ESA said.