An asteroid has a 2% chance of hitting Earth in 2032
Photo: ESA/FILE
A recently discovered asteroid, named 2024 YR4, has on average a 2% chance of hitting Earth in 2032. While those odds of an impact are slim, astronomers are closely tracking the space rock to uncover more details — a process that could soon involve the most powerful observatory ever launched into space, AmericanDiary24 reports via CNN.
Not much is known about 2024 YR4, but the asteroid is estimated to be 131 to 295 feet (40 to 90 meters) wide, a “size range comparable to that of a large building,” said Dr. Paul Chodas, manager for the Center for Near-Earth Object Studies, or CNEOS, at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.
That’s not even close to the size of the “planet-killer” asteroid that slammed into Earth 66 million years ago and led to the extinction of dinosaurs. That one was estimated to be about 6.2 miles (10 kilometers) in diameter and marked the last known large asteroid to hit our world. Planet killer asteroids are space rocks that are 1 kilometer across or larger and could have a devastating effect on life.But smaller asteroids can cause regional devastation if they are determined to be on a collision course with Earth, which is why astronomers need to find out as much as possible — as soon as possible — about 2024 YR4.
Acquiring more data, like refining the space rock’s trajectory, may reduce the odds of a direct hit to zero. But astronomers only have a certain amount of time to observe the asteroid before it fades from view in April. Now, they’re planning to turn the powerful eye of the James Webb Space Telescope in 2024 YR4’s direction with the hopes of pinning down the space rock’s size and orbit.
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