Asteroid Alert: Astronomer Discovers Near-Earth Asteroid

Jacqueline Fazekas is an astronomer who is making headlines for a galactic achievement. On September 4, 2024, Fazekas discovered a near-Earth asteroid, named 2024 RW1. This was only the ninth time in history that an asteroid was identified before impacting earth. Fazekas is the first woman to accomplish this feat.

“Discovered Something Amazing”

Fazekas works with the NASA-funded Catalina Sky Survey at the University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Lab. Using powerful telescopes and special software, she identified the asteroid before anyone else. 

Fazekas said she had “discovered something amazing” during an interview last October. She then explained the process of locating and detecting near-Earth asteroids. 

“We have an alert system, and every telescope is notified that there is a detected object, with all of the relevant information, so that other telescopes can follow the asteroid,” she explained. 

Identifying Asteroids

Asteroids are rocky, small objects in our solar system that orbit the sun. There are 1.3 million asteroids that have been discovered. Identifying asteroids is an important step in protecting Earth. Depending on the size, an asteroid’s impact on Earth could be severe. Fortunately, RW1 burned up in the atmosphere near Luzon Island in the Philippines. 

As Fazekas elaborated, this is just one example of how technology helps scientists get better at spotting near-Earth objects in the vastness of space. “The fact that we can spot these asteroids before they even get close to Earth shows just how much technology is improving,” she said. 

Fazekas' amazing discovery shows that science not only helps us learn more but also plays an important role in protecting our planet.