Asteroid 2024 YR4 may miss Earth in 2032 and hit the moon instead

Asteroid 2024 YR4 might miss Earth in 2032, potentially hitting the moon instead.

: Asteroid 2024 YR4 is projected to have a 1-in-48 chance of hitting Earth in December 2032, initially assessed at 1-in-83 odds. If it struck Earth, its 180-foot size could devastate a city and release 8 megatons of energy, over 500 times that of Hiroshima's atomic bomb. There's a 0.3% chance the asteroid might hit the moon, creating a visible crater with energy equivalent to 343 Hiroshima bombs.

Asteroid 2024 YR4 poses a low threat to Earth, with 1-in-48 odds of colliding with our planet in 2032, an increase from earlier estimates of 1-in-83. Although it is not large enough to endanger humanity, its impact could release 8 megatons of energy, far surpassing Hiroshima's bomb, and potentially demolish a city.

There is an even smaller probability, around 0.3%, of the asteroid impacting the moon, which could form a crater between 1,640 to 6,561 feet wide. The explosion from such a collision would unleash energy equivalent to 343 Hiroshima bombs, potentially visible from Earth.

Scientists are leveraging the James Webb Space Telescope to improve size estimates for asteroid 2024 YR4, utilizing its thermal emissions for accuracy. Gareth Collins of Imperial College London suggests that any debris from a moon impact would likely burn in Earth's atmosphere, posing minimal risk to our planet.

Asteroid ImpactSpace2024 YR4