About asteroid 2024 YR4.
Asteroid 2024 YR4 is an asteroid that is about 130 to 300 feet (40 - 90 meters)—about the size of a football field!
Scientists first saw this asteroid using a special telescope system that NASA had helped build. There is a small chance that asteroid 2024 YR4 could hit Earth on 22nd December 2032.
What does NASA say?
NASA says the chance of the asteroid hitting Earth in 2032 is 3.1%. This number changed from 1.2% to 2.3%, then 2.6%, and now 3.1%.
The asteroid is not big enough to destroy Earth, but it could damage a big city. If it hits, it would release 500 times more energy than the Hiroshima atomic bomb used during World War II.
The risk corridor.
A risk corridor is the possible path an asteroid could take if it hits Earth. Scientists use this to guess where it might land. More data can decrease the risk.
If 2024 YR4 hits Earth, it could land in the Pacific Ocean, South America, Africa, or South Asia. Possible countries include Ethiopia, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Colombia, and Nigeria.
No need to panic!
Don't worry! There is a 96.9% chance the asteroid will miss Earth. Scientists are still watching it, and the risk might drop to zero. There is also a 0.3% chance it could hit the moon instead of Earth.
Space agencies are planning ways to stop the asteroid, like using rockets to change its path or breaking it into smaller pieces. Experts are ready if action is needed.
