NASA has revised its assessment of asteroid 2024 YR4, now estimating a 0.28% chance of it impacting Earth on December 22, 2032, according to new data released Thursday. This marks a decrease in the probability of collision, yet NASA’s planetary defense teams will continue to monitor the asteroid closely to refine trajectory predictions. While the chances of hitting Earth have fallen, there is a slight increase in the possibility of a lunar impact, now calculated at 1%.
Asteroid 2024 YR4, first detected by the NASA-funded Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) in Chile on January 27, 2024, measures approximately 40 to 90 meters in diameter. The potential damage it might cause hinges on its exact size and composition, which remain uncertain. Nevertheless, NASA notes that an airburst event is a conceivable outcome due to the asteroid’s estimated size.
In the event that 2024 YR4 enters Earth’s atmosphere over the ocean, preliminary models suggest that such an airburst would likely not generate significant tsunamis, even if the break-up occurs near the shoreline. This latest analysis underscores NASA’s ongoing commitment to planetary defense and the importance of keeping a vigilant watch on space objects that may pose risks to Earth or its celestial neighbors.
Original Source: https://english.news.cn/20250221/f6de6b6a92db4f168202fc3a2614ff01/c.html
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Publish Date: 2025-02-21 03:10:00
