Asteroid 2024 YR4 Threatens Earth Impact
The asteroid's size, currently estimated to be between 130-300 feet, is uncertain, and its density and composition are unknown, but the James Webb Space Telescope's observations in March and May will provide more precise data, helping to determine the asteroid's trajectory and whether it will pose a threat to Earth, and the earth's safety is the top priority, as scientists and astronomers work tirelessly to track and monitor the asteroid's movement.
A recently discovered asteroid, 2024 YR4, has a 2% chance of hitting Earth in 2032, with astronomers racing to determine its size and orbit to assess the potential damage it could cause, as it hurtles through space at a speed of 17 kilometers per second, posing a risk to our planet.
The asteroid, estimated to be 131 to 295 feet wide, was discovered by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope in December 2024, and its size is crucial in determining the potential damage it could cause if it were to hit Earth, with asteroids of this size capable of causing regional devastation, similar to the Tunguska impact in 1908, which devastated a surface area of around 2,000 square kilometers.
The James Webb Space Telescope will observe the asteroid in March to refine its size estimate, which is currently based on the amount of sunlight it reflects, and the telescope's data will be used to refine the asteroid's trajectory and determine its potential impact risk, as NASA estimates that a 130-300ft asteroid has a 2.3% chance of hitting Earth on Dec 22, 2032, up from 1.2% in January.
Astronomers have used multiple telescopes, including the Magdalena Ridge Observatory and the Very Large Telescope, to track the asteroid's movement, and the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS) in Hawaii is also tracking the asteroid, which returns to Earth's vicinity every four years, but will not pose a threat in 2028, and if it disappears from view before space agencies can rule out any chance of impact, it will remain on the risk list until it is back in view in June 2028.
As the asteroid continues on its path, astronomers will continue to monitor its movement, and the upcoming observations by the James Webb Space Telescope will provide crucial data to determine the asteroid's trajectory and potential impact risk, and with the asteroid's observation arc short and rapidly moving away from Earth, the next few months will be critical in determining the fate of 2024 YR4 and its potential impact on our planet, and the earth is waiting with bated breath for the latest updates on this potentially hazardous asteroid.
