Scientists closely watching asteroid that has chance of hitting Earth

Jan 31

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Craig Nigrelli Anchor/Reporter

By Craig Nigrelli (Anchor/Reporter ), Michael Edwards (Video Editor)

A newly discovered asteroid caught the attention of scientists and astronomers. NASA said that it has a very small chance of hitting the Earth by the year 2032.

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Where is the asteroid now?

Scientists in Chile first spotted the asteroid by telescope in December 2024. They’ve named it 2024 YR4.

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The space rock is anywhere from 130 to 330 feet across, scientists estimated.

Researchers said the asteroid is currently headed away from Earth, but said it came within 500,000 miles of Earth on Christmas Day. That’s about twice the distance of the moon.

What are the chances of the asteroid hitting Earth?

NASA’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies director, Paul Chodas, said there is a 99% chance that the asteroid will miss Earth.

However, he said the small 1 % chance that it might hit our planet deserves attention.

Chodas explained that as it makes a path around the sun, its risk of hitting Earth might drop.

Experts said the space rock will gradually fade from view over the next few months and even the most powerful of telescopes will not be able to pinpoint it.

Once out of sight, it will not become visible again until 2028.

In the meantime, scientists are looking over data and surveys of space dating back to 2016 to track its history.

The European Space Agency reported that the Earth gets hit by an asteroid of this size every few thousand years.

This particular asteroid is now atop the agency’s risk list.

What kind of damage could this asteroid cause?

NASA said that if the asteroid turns out to be on the large end of its estimated range, it could produce a blast of about 30 miles, including the impact site.

The damage could range from massive explosions to fires, or perhaps an earthquake or tsunamis, according to the University of California at Berkeley.

If the asteroid does make its way toward Earth, experts dated the impact at around Dec. 22, 2032. The exact location of where it could hit is unknown.

Tags: asteroid, NASA, Space Debris, U.S. Space Force

[CRAIG NIGRELLI]

AS THE SPACE WARS AMONG BILLIONAIRES CONTINUE TO RECEIVE
ALL SORTS OF COVERAGE, A RECENT DISCOVERY IS GETTING THE ATTENTION OF SCIENTISTS AND ASTRONOMERS. NASA SAYS A NEWLY DISCOVERED ASTEROID HAS A VERY SMALL CHANCE OF HITTING THE EARTH IN THE YEAR 2032.
SCIENTISTS FIRST SPOTTED IT LAST MONTH, BY TELESCOPE, IN THE COUNTRY OF CHILE. THEY’VE NAMED IT 2024 YR4. THE SPACE ROCK IS BELIEVED TO BE ANYWHERE FROM 130 TO 330 FEET ACROSS. IT IS CURRENTLY HEADING AWAY FROM EARTH. THEY SAY IT CAME WITHIN 500,000 MILES OF EARTH ON CHRISTMAS DAY, WHICH IS ABOUT TWICE THE DISTANCE OF THE MOON, WHICH IS ABOUT 239,000 MILES AWAY.
THE DIRECTOR OF NASA’S CENTER FOR NEAR EARTH OBJECT STUDIES, PAUL CHODAS, SAYS THERE IS A 99 % CHANCE IT WILL MISS THE EARTH BUT THE SMALL
ONE PERCENT CHANCE THAT IT MIGHT, DESERVES ATTENTION.
HE SAYS AS THE ASTEROID MAKES A PATH AROUND THE SUN, ITS RISK OF HITTING EARTH MIGHT ACTUALLY DROP.
ADDING TO THE INTRIGUE, EXPERTS SAY THE ASTEROID WILL GRADUALLY FADE FROM VIEW OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS AND EVEN THE MOST POWERFUL OF TELESCOPES WILL **NOT** BE ABLE TO PINPOINT IT. ONCE OUT OF SIGHT, IT WILL NOT BECOME VISIBLE AGAIN, UNTIL 2028.
IN THE MEANTIME, SCIENTISTS ARE NOW LOOKING OVER DATA AND SURVEYS OF SPACE, DATING BACK TO 2016, TO TRACK THE ASTEROID’S HISTORY. THE EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY REPORTS THAT THE EARTH GETS HIT BY AN ASTEROID, THIS SIZE EVERY FEW THOUSAND YEARS. THIS PARTICULAR ASTEROID IS NOW ATOP THE AGENCY’S RISK LIST.
NASA’S CHODAS SAYS IF THE ASTEROID TURNS OUT TO BE ON THE LARGE END OF ITS ESTIMATED RANGE IT COULD PRODUCE A BLAST OF ABOUT 30 MILES, INCLUDING THE IMPACT SITE. THE DAMAGE COULD RANGE FROM MASSIVE EXPLOSIONS, TO FIRES OR PERHAPS EVEN AN EARTHQUAKE OR TSUNAMIS, ACCORDING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT BERKELEY.
IF IT DOES COME DOWN, THEY HAVE PEGGED THE DATE AT AROUND DECEMBER 22ND, 2032, BUT THE EXACT LOCATION IS UNKNOWN. FOR MORE UNBIASED UPDATES, DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP