Hungarian astronomer first to spot a meteoroid entering Earth’s atmosphere
A Hungarian astronomer, Krisztián Sárneczky, was the first to detect a meteoroid just one meter in diameter that entered Earth’s atmosphere over Germany in January 2024. Thanks to an alert issued by the Piszkéstető Observatory, scientists were able to predict and document the atmospheric entry before it happened.
Hungarian astronomer made the initial discovery
The celestial object, later named 2024 BX1, was first spotted in the early hours of 21 January by Krisztián Sárneczky at the Piszkéstető Observatory in the Mátra Mountains. Thanks to the swift detection, he relayed the data within minutes to the Minor Planet Centre and then to NASA’s “Scout” system, which quickly confirmed the object was headed toward Earth and would enter the atmosphere within hours. The system also estimated the time and location of impact with remarkable accuracy: the meteoroid flared up and disintegrated in the atmosphere about 60 kilometres west of Berlin.
The meteoroid entered Earth’s atmosphere at a speed of roughly 14 kilometers per second—around 50,000 km/h—making it forty times faster than a commercial jet.
The 2024 BX1 meteoroid
Although such space rocks are commonly referred to as asteroids, the correct term for objects under a few meters in size is meteoroid. What makes this case special is just how difficult it is to detect such small objects in time: their faint light usually makes them visible only shortly before impact. 2024 BX1 is only the eighth object worldwide whose impact has been successfully predicted in advance. While classified as a small asteroid in international astronomical records, its size also qualifies it as a meteoroid.
Piszkéstető: A small observatory with global impact
The Piszkéstető Observatory, located at an altitude of 944 meters in the Mátra Mountains, is part of the Konkoly Thege Miklós Astronomical Institute and serves as a central hub for Hungarian astronomy. Despite its more modest equipment compared to international space agencies, it plays a crucial role in the global network for monitoring small celestial objects.
Each night, the observatory’s automated and semi-automated telescopes scan the sky, detecting tiny, faint points of light that could represent potentially hazardous objects.
Piszkéstető has made headlines in the world of astronomy more than once. Krisztián Sárneczky has previously detected three meteoroids that later entered Earth’s atmosphere (2022 EB5, 2023 CX1, and now 2024 BX1). The small Hungarian station now holds the world record for the most early detections of such atmospheric entries. This is not only a remarkable scientific achievement but also a source of international recognition for Hungarian researchers.
Planetary defence growing in importance
While the size of this meteoroid posed no real threat, its detection marks a milestone in planetary defence. Both NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) are increasingly focused on identifying celestial objects that could threaten Earth. Their observation programs aim not only to detect such objects but also to develop deflection technologies.
Successful predictions, however, rely heavily on the performance of Earth-based observation networks. Locations like the Piszkéstető Observatory—staffed by skilled and dedicated professionals—are essential to that effort. The case of the 2024 BX1 meteoroid shows that Hungarian astronomers play a vital role in the early detection of threats from outer space.
The featured image is for illustration purposes only.
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