Likelihood of Dev asteroitin Collision with Earth Increases: NASA Shares New Data
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) stated that the possibility of the asteroid named 2024 YR4 colliding with Earth in 2032 has risen to 3.1%.
NASA shared a new measurement report last year regarding the likelihood of the celestial body detected hitting Earth on December 22, 2032. The latest data in the report indicated that the probability of the 2024 YR4 asteroid colliding with Earth within 7 years had increased to 3.1%.
500 TIMES MORE POWERFUL THAN AN ATOM BOMB It is estimated that the asteroid, with a diameter of approximately 54 meters, is too small to end human civilization, as mentioned in the report, but it could “destroy” a large city and release about 8 megatons of energy upon impact. It is believed that this would create an air blast equivalent to 500 times the power of 8 million tons of TNT exploding or the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. However, scientists state that there is still a 96.9% chance the asteroid will miss Earth, and in new measurements, the risk of it hitting Earth could be reduced to zero.
2024 YR4 ASTEROID Initially detected on December 27, 2024, by the Rio Hurtado telescope in Chile, the risk of the 2024 YR4 asteroid colliding with Earth was announced as 1.33%, which was later updated to 2%. Astronomers previously mentioned that 2024 YR4 would not cause widespread destruction but could only leave damage in a 50-kilometer area if it collides. Potential collision locations include the east of the Pacific, northern South America, Africa, and South Asia. International space agencies affirm that monitoring of 2024 YR4 will continue, and efforts will be made to alter the asteroid’s path to prevent a collision.
