Phew! The risk of that asteroid hitting Earth in 2032 has significantly lowered
1 min read
Summary
There is less than a 2% chance that asteroid 2024 YR4 will hit Earth, according to new observations from the European Space Agency, despite previous predictions that the likelihood was as high as 3.1%.
The latest predictions are based on observations made using ground-based telescopes and will continue to be monitored until April when its orbit will take it out of range until 2028.
The asteroid is estimated to be between 130 and 300 feet in size and would deliver 7.7 megatons of energy upon impact, which is relatively small compared to the impact that led to the extinction of the dinosaurs.
However, it would be enough to cause devastating damage to a major city.
Astronomers will continue to observe the asteroid and update impact probabilities as new data becomes available.
In the meantime, the new data has increased the likelihood of the asteroid hitting the moon to 1%.