A recently discovered asteroid named 2024 YR4 has raised concerns about its potential impact on Earth. According to the European Space Agency, the asteroid has a slightly increased risk of affecting our planet on December 22, 2032, with a 2.2% chance of collision.
The asteroid was first spotted by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope in Chile and is estimated to be between 131 and 295 feet wide. Astronomers believe that the asteroid’s size and trajectory are still uncertain and will continue to refine their understanding as more observations are made.
In the past, similar near-Earth asteroids have had a high chance of impact but were later found to be safer than initially thought. For example, asteroid Apophis was once considered one of the most hazardous asteroids, but its orbit was revised after precise analysis in 2021.
The ESA and NASA are closely monitoring the asteroid’s movement and will use multiple telescopes to track it. As the asteroid moves away from Earth, researchers will rely on larger telescopes to observe it. The celestial object should be visible through early April and disappear as it continues on its orbit around the sun.
If the asteroid disappears from view before space agencies can rule out any chance of impact, it will remain on the risk list until it returns in June 2028. NASA and the ESA have activated international response groups to coordinate efforts and provide recommendations for potential mitigation strategies, including deflecting the asteroid or evacuating potentially affected regions.
The priority right now is to keep observing the asteroid and reduce its positional uncertainties in 2032, which will likely rule out the impact.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/02/07/science/asteroid-2024-yr4-earth-risk/index.html