A 90-metre-wide space rock passed Earth on Christmas Day 2024, and its risk of hitting the planet has doubled in a week. The asteroid, known as 2024 YR4, currently tops both NASA’s and the European Space Agency’s (ESA) asteroid-risk registers.
The rock is estimated to weigh almost 250,000 tonnes, which would explode with the force of over 2.2 million tonnes of TNT if it hits Earth – almost 150 times greater than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. A similar-sized rock in 1908 devastated a thousand square miles of forest.
Astronomers will continue to study the asteroid until May, when it will disappear from view. The risk has increased, but officials say it’s unlikely to strike Earth. However, if the risk persists, a dedicated telescope or rocket mission may be launched to deflect the rock.
The ESA-led Space Mission Planning Advisory Group is advising the UN on next steps, and astronomers are rated the threat of 2024 YR4 as a level three on the Torino Impact Hazard Scale. The UK will work with international partners to assess the asteroid’s risk right up until it disappears from sight.
Source: https://www.yahoo.com/news/risk-football-pitch-sized-asteroid-153432817.html