CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — After extensive observations, scientists have confirmed that Earth is safe from any potential threat posed by the newly discovered asteroid 2024 YR4. Both NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) announced this reassuring news on Tuesday, following two months of diligent study.
Initially, the odds of an asteroid impact in 2032 were concerning, at one point reaching as high as 3%, which placed it at the top of the world's asteroid-risk lists. However, recent calculations by ESA have drastically reduced the odds to a mere 0.001%, while NASA's estimates stand at 0.0017%. This indicates that the asteroid will pass by Earth safely in 2032, with no impact threat predicted for the next century.
AP correspondent Marcia Dunn highlighted the importance of NASA's ongoing efforts to monitor space events. According to Paul Chodas, head of NASA’s Center for Near Earth Objects Studies, there is no possibility of the impact odds increasing, ensuring that any threat has been negated.
Interestingly, NASA has noted a 1.7% chance that the asteroid could collide with the moon on December 22, 2032. Chodas is optimistic that these odds will decrease as more data becomes available. The global network of telescopes will continue to track the asteroid as it moves away, with the Webb Space Telescope scheduled to focus on it next month to determine its precise size.
Discovered in December, asteroid 2024 YR4 measures approximately 130 to 300 feet (40 to 90 meters) across and approaches Earth every four years. Despite no longer posing a significant threat, the asteroid has provided a valuable opportunity for scientific study, as mentioned in NASA's statement.
The Associated Press Health and Science Department acknowledges support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP remains solely responsible for its content.
