NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) revealed that there is a 2% chance that the asteroid named “2024 YR4” will hit the Earth in December 2032.

The 2024 YR4 Asteroid was discovered in December 2024 by ATLAS telescopes in Chile. Estimated to have a diameter between 40 and 90 meters, the asteroid ranks at level 3 on the Torino Impact Hazard Scale. This level indicates that the asteroid could have a local impact but does not pose a global threat.

The Torino Scale is an 11-point scale that assesses the threat posed by asteroids potentially colliding with Earth. The higher the level, the greater the assumed destruction that the space object could cause. The Destructive Potential of an asteroid depends on its composition, speed, and mass. As 2024 YR4 is still far away, these characteristics are not yet predictable. Astronomers believe that at the moment of impact, 2024 YR4 could create an airburst equivalent to about 8 million tons of TNT or 500 times the power of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. It has been given the nickname “City Destroyer” by scientists due to its potential local threat.

Where Will the Asteroid Hit? NASA Engineer David Rankin drew a risk corridor for the asteroid. If the 2% chance materializes and the asteroid falls to Earth, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Sudan, Nigeria, Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador are at risk.

UN Takes Action The United Nations activated an emergency protocol to protect the planet from the “City Destroyer.” Currently, this protocol will be limited to continuous monitoring to understand the movements of the asteroid.

Precautionary Measures NASA is conducting preventive measures to protect Earth from potentially devastating asteroids. With the 2023 DART Mission project, NASA tested by launching a rocket at the harmless asteroid Dimorphos. This experiment proved that rockets can be launched at similar celestial bodies and that such collisions could alter the course of these objects.