NASA has raised its chances of an asteroid hitting Earth, with a recently discovered object now having a 2.6% probability of impact. Asteroid 2024 YR4, estimated to be between 130 and 300 feet wide, is expected to pass close to Earth on December 22, 2032. While the odds are still low, astronomers believe the risk may drop to zero as the asteroid’s path around the sun becomes better understood.
The asteroid has been given a Level 3 alert, indicating a high chance of detection and reclassification in the near future. The Torino Impact Hazard Scale rates it as “a close encounter meriting attention by astronomers.” However, experts say no one should be concerned about the increasing impact probability, citing an expected drop to zero at some point.
NASA and the European Space Agency’s Webb Space Telescope will observe the asteroid in March before it disappears from view. Scientists will have to wait until 2028 for another opportunity to study it. If the asteroid were to strike Earth, it would occur somewhere along a risk corridor across the eastern Pacific Ocean, northern South America, Africa, and South Asia at a high velocity of around 38,000 miles per hour.
The impact would be considered localized destruction, but most likely new telescopic observations will reclassify the asteroid as “no threat.” NASA’s director of the Center for Near-Earth Object Studies says it’s essential to keep track of near-Earth objects, emphasizing that the current probability is not a cause for concern.
Source: https://www.foxnews.com/us/odds-massive-asteroid-striking-earth-increase-again-nasa