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- Written by: NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
Asteroid 2022 EB5 was too small to pose a hazard to Earth, but its discovery marks the fifth time that any asteroid has been observed before impacting into the atmosphere.
A small asteroid hit Earth’s atmosphere over the Norwegian Sea before disintegrating on March 11, 2022. But this event wasn’t a complete surprise: Astronomers knew it was on a collision course, predicting exactly where and when the impact would happen.
Two hours before the asteroid made impact, K. Sarneczky at the Piszkéstető Observatory in northern Hungary first reported observations of the small object to the Minor Planet Center – the internationally recognized clearinghouse for the position measurements of small celestial bodies.
The object was posted on the Minor Planet Center’s Near-Earth Object Confirmation Page to flag it for additional observations that would confirm it as a previously unknown asteroid.
NASA’s “Scout” impact hazard assessment system then took these early measurements to calculate the trajectory of 2022 EB5.
As soon as Scout determined that 2022 EB5 was going to hit Earth’s atmosphere, the system alerted the Center for Near Earth Object Studies, or CNEOS, and NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office, and flagged the object on the Scout webpage to notify the near-Earth object observing community.
Maintained by CNEOS at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, Scout automatically searches the Minor Planet Center’s database for possible new short-term impactors.
CNEOS calculates every known near-Earth asteroid orbit to improve impact hazard assessments in support of the Planetary Defense Coordination Office.
“Scout had only 14 observations over 40 minutes from one observatory to work with when it first identified the object as an impactor. We were able to determine the possible impact locations, which initially extended from western Greenland to off the coast of Norway,” said Davide Farnocchia, a navigation engineer at JPL who developed Scout. “As more observatories tracked the asteroid, our calculations of its trajectory and impact location became more precise.”
Scout determined that 2022 EB5 would enter the atmosphere southwest of Jan Mayen, a Norwegian island nearly 300 miles (470 kilometers) off the east coast of Greenland and northeast of Iceland.
At 5:23 p.m. EST (2:23 p.m. PST), 2022 EB5 hit the atmosphere as predicted by Scout, and infrasound detectors have confirmed the impact occurred at the predicted time.
From observations of the asteroid as it approached Earth and the energy measured by infrasound detectors at time of impact, 2022 EB5 is estimated to have been about 6 1/2 feet (2 meters) in size.
Tiny asteroids of this size get bright enough to be detected only in the last few hours before their impact (or before they make a very close approach to Earth). They are much smaller than the objects that the Planetary Defense Coordination Office is tasked by NASA with detecting and warning about.
“Tiny asteroids like 2022 EB5 are numerous, and they impact into the atmosphere quite frequently – roughly every 10 months or so,” said Paul Chodas, the director of CNEOS at JPL. “But very few of these asteroids have actually been detected in space and observed extensively prior to impact, basically because they are very faint until the last few hours, and a survey telescope has to observe just the right spot of sky at the right time for one to be detected.”
A larger asteroid with hazardous impact potential would be discovered much farther from Earth. NASA’s goal is to keep track of such asteroids and to calculate their trajectories in order to have many years’ notice ahead of a potential impact should one ever be identified.
But this real-world event with a very small asteroid allowed the planetary defense community to exercise capabilities and gave some confidence that the impact prediction models at CNEOS are highly capable of informing the response to the potential impact of a larger object.
2022 EB5 is only the fifth small asteroid to be detected in space before hitting Earth’s atmosphere. The first asteroid to be discovered and tracked well before hitting Earth was 2008 TC3, which entered the atmosphere over Sudan and broke up in October 2008. That 13-foot-wide (4-meter-wide) asteroid scattered hundreds of small meteorites over the Nubian Desert. As surveys become more sophisticated and sensitive, more of these harmless objects will be detected before entering the atmosphere.
More information about CNEOS, asteroids, and near-Earth objects can be found at https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov and https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/asteroid-watch.
For more information about NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office, visit https://www.nasa.gov/planetarydefense.
For asteroid and comet news and updates, follow @AsteroidWatch on Twitter.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Lake County’s administrative officer said Thursday that she is stepping down from her job after six years.
Carol Huchingson’s last day with the county of Lake will be April 29.
She has been county administrative officer since April 2016, and is the first woman to hold the job.
Her office issued a lengthy first person statement from Huchingson on Thursday afternoon in which she promoted what she believed to be her accomplishments.
“I have now made the difficult decision to retire, as of the end of April. When looking back on my career, I am overwhelmingly grateful for all of the people that have invested and believed in me, and for the opportunities I have had to help others grow their skill sets, and rise to meet community needs,” she said.
“When things end, new opportunities present themselves,” Supervisor Bruno Sabatier told Lake County News in response to the announcement. “With County Administrative Officer Huchingson retiring, it will be critical for the board to make wise decisions for the stability and growth of the county, and I look forward to those discussions.”
Huchingson did not specifically explain why she is retiring.
When asked for the actual reason for her departure — which Sabatier indicated was not expected — her chief deputy, Matthew Rothstein, cited her plans to retire after “34 years of intensive and distinguished public service.”
Rothstein said he expected the board was to soon discuss the process moving forward.
Later on Thursday afternoon, the clerk to the Board of Supervisors released next week’s agenda a day early. The agenda includes an untimed action item to consider the recruitment strategy for a new county administrative officer.
By the time of her retirement, Huchingson will have spent 29 years with the county of Lake.
She started with the county in June 1993 and spent 22 years as the Social Services director.
Huchingson also worked for several months as the county’s Valley fire long-term recovery coordinator before the board decided to hire her as county administrative officer in February 2016 from a field of seven candidates. She officially stepped into the role two months later, after the retirement of Matt Perry.
The announcement of Huchingson’s retirement comes days after longtime County Clerk/Auditor-Controller Cathy Saderlund confirmed that she has chosen not to seek reelection.
Huchingson’s friend and colleague Carmel Angelo, the chief executive officer of Mendocino County for the past 12 years, announced her retirement in January. Her last day is March 19.
It also is six months after Huchingson finished pushing through the second wave of county raises during the course of the pandemic. The raises included up to $5 million approved in October 2020 — in which Huchingson received a 30% raise — and another $16 million in September, when her raise totaled 54.5%, plus a 2.5% longevity increase.
Sabatier told Lake County News that he was not anticipating Huchingson to retire at this time, but had known Saderlund had been weighing her final decision up to Friday’s filing deadline. Saderlund told Lake County News that personal decisions over the last month led her to decide to retire at the end of her term.
Huchingson’s departure also comes as county department heads are in the midst of crafting their 2022-23 proposed budgets, which will be presented in the initial form in June and usually are approved as part of the final recommended budget in September.
It’s an effort that has traditionally been guided by the County Administrative Office, with both of Huchingson’s immediate predecessors, Kelly Cox and Matt Perry, having brought extensive knowledge and experience to the budgeting process.
Sabatier acknowledged that the county will have to figure out how to handle budgeting in Huchingson’s
It’s anticipated that Saderlund — whose term expires at the year — will continue to play an important role in that work.
Also still in play is a federal lawsuit filed against the county and Huchingson in July 2020 by Pamela Nichols, the county’s former human resources director.
Nichols is alleging race discrimination, violation of her First Amendment free speech rights, retaliation for exercising free speech, wrongful termination and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
She claims that Huchingson and the county terminated her employment after she exercised her free speech rights “pertaining to matters of public concern, including complaining about discrimination in the workplace.”
The case is set to go to trial in March of 2023, according to federal filings.
The Board of Supervisors had a closed session discussion about the case on Tuesday. County Counsel Anita Grant did not respond to a request for comment about whether there were any actions taken out of that closed session or if there were any additional updates on the case.
Huchingson’s statement on her departure is published below in its entirety.
“It has been my privilege to serve in local government for 34 years, the past 29 with the County of Lake. Over two decades as Social Services Director, I had the opportunity to work with hundreds of incredible people dedicated to serving Lake County residents facing food and housing insecurity, and many deep personal challenges. As Valley Fire Recovery Coordinator, I stood with friends and neighbors as they took their first steps to recover and rebuild. I found great meaning in that work, and continue to value relationships built during that time.
“However, there has been no greater honor than being entrusted by the Board of Supervisors to lead as County Administrative Officer. Since my appointment to the CAO role in 2016, I have worked to promote policies that well serve every resident, and recognize and celebrate the rich diversity of Lake County’s communities.
“When the COVID-19 pandemic brought historic disruption, for example, I fought to ensure local residents had a voice. Lake County was among the first to implement “hybrid” Board meetings, inviting live participation via Zoom, and broadcasting meetings on social media and Lake County PEG TV.
“Leadership means making the best available decisions, whatever challenges may arise. I have always sought to lead with that lens, and take the right action, even when what I was proposing was unpopular.
“It has been a significant focus for me, as CAO, to ensure County employees are valued, recognized for exceptional contributions, and fairly compensated. Some disagreed with recent County decisions to increase employee wages. Those actions positioned us for decades of greater stability and stronger performance throughout our workforce. Our Board’s resolve in taking that on was truly extraordinary.
“I have now made the difficult decision to retire, as of the end of April. When looking back on my career, I am overwhelmingly grateful for all of the people that have invested and believed in me, and for the opportunities I have had to help others grow their skill sets, and rise to meet community needs.
“Thank you, everyone. I look forward to seeing Lake County continue to thrive.”
— Carol J. Huchingson, County Administrative Officer
Email Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The council will meet at 5 p.m. Monday, March 21, in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.
The council chambers will be open to the public for the meeting. Masks are highly encouraged where 6-foot distancing cannot be maintained.
If you cannot attend in person, and would like to speak on an agenda item, you can access the Zoom meeting remotely at this link or join by phone by calling toll-free 669-900-9128 or 346-248-7799.
The webinar ID is 951 6769 7302, access code is 529272; the audio pin will be shown after joining the webinar. Those phoning in without using the web link will be in “listen mode” only and will not be able to participate or comment.
Comments can be submitted by email to
The special meeting on Monday is being held in order for the council to conduct a workshop to receive presentations of 2022-23 fiscal year recommended department goals.
The council also will discuss its priorities for the coming fiscal year.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: Office of Sen. Mike McGuire
SB 884 will provide a path to expedite undergrounding of 10,000 miles of PG&E utility lines in the highest fire risk zones, save ratepayers money, and hold PG&E accountable to their timelines. Currently, PG&E undergrounds less than 100 miles of their electrical lines annually.
McGuire said that for far too long, America’s largest utility — PG&E — has failed its customers and made California unsafe.
For years, the utility underfunded modernization and wildfire safety efforts, which has had devastating impacts here in the Golden State.
PG&E has been charged with nearly 100 felonies in the deaths of California residents in wildfires they caused over the past four years. Californians have literally run for their lives while their homes burned to escape flames from PG&E-caused wildfires, McGuire said.
He said Californians have sat in the dark with food spoiling in their warm refrigerators for days on end during wind-driven public safety power shutoffs, and they’ve been left without access to critical lifeline services when power lines go down.
McGuire said this has been the state’s reality for long enough.
SB 884 will do the following:
· Mandated performance metrics would be implemented by the California Public Utilities Commission on undergrounding projects, including timelines for completion, financial penalties for not hitting timelines, and the utility would have to prove safety protocols are met prior to receiving a rate of return.
· Develops a pathway to expedite undergrounding construction by establishing a shot clock for local government permit approval/denial to just 150 days.
· The legislation would save ratepayers money by forcing PG&E to first use available federal infrastructure funds to construct the undergrounding project before using ratepayer funds and it would mandate telecommunication companies underground their utilities in the same trench as the electrical undergrounding. This dig-once policy will help as a cost share and help make our state telecommunication system more resilient, especially in the highest risk zones.
· Guarantees a 270 day judicial review in California courts if an undergrounding project faces a California Environmental Quality Act Lawsuit.
“Every single time a wildfire has ripped through our communities, PG&E apologizes, pays a fine and claims to harden their lines in the areas that might burn next, and then moves on,” McGuire said. “I have great respect for the women and men who work everyday to keep our lights on, but I don’t trust the lip service from those at the top.”
McGuire added, “For years, PG&E has known the way to fix this — it’s burying their damn lines. With this legislation, we can get PG&E to finally underground the lines most at risk to start a wildfire and it would hold them accountable with strict performance metrics. This bill will save ratepayers money and save lives. If PG&E doesn’t hit their performance metrics, the utility would be held accountable.”
This legislation will further reduce the devastating climate impact wildfires have in our state, McGuire said.
In 2020, more than four million acres — 4% of land in California — burned across the state in just one record-setting year. The smoke from these fires generated the equivalent emissions of 28 million vehicles and blanketed many parts of the state with unhealthy smoke for weeks
“The western United States is getting hotter and drier, and the threat of wildfires is only getting worse. Everyone knows the only path forward is for PG&E to speed up the pace of moving power lines underground. Lives are literally at risk. This legislation will safeguard our communities and save ratepayers money,” McGuire said.