Almahata Sitta 15 . ... Credit Copyright: Peter Jenniskens (SETI Institute/NASA Ames) Explanation: Small asteroid 2008 TC3 fell to Earth at dawn on October 7, 2008, tracking through the skies over the Nubian Desert in northern Sudan. That event was remarkable because it was the first time an asteroid was detected in space before crashing into planet Earth's atmosphere. ... On December 6, 2008, two hours after their search began, the first meteorite was found . ... NASA Official: Jay Norris. ...