Asteroid Hitting Earth in 2032?

HIGHLIGHTS NASA's 2024 YR4 asteroid has a 1 in 45 chance of hitting Earth in 2032. The risk is low, though, and monitoring is ongoing to evaluate the impact threat. NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) are concerned about a near-Earth asteroid named 2024 YR4, as it could strike the Earth in December 2032. The NASA 2024 YR4 prediction puts the chance of a collision at 1-in-45, for an asteroid measuring about 130 to 300 feet (40 – 90 meters) wide. Its 2032 potential asteroid impact, however, has attracted attention, although the odds are still low.

What is a near-Earth asteroid?

A near-Earth asteroid is one whose orbit crosses into Earth’s part of the solar system. Asteroid 2024 YR4 could do some serious damage, as it is large enough to cause “localized damage” if there were a collision, though the chances of a collision are low. Then by February 2025, risk of 2024 YR4 hitting the Earth is updated to 2.3%, which is an increase from January, because risk was 1.3%. But NASA noted that the likelihood of an impact could change as more observations are made of the asteroid's trajectory.

How is NASA responding to the threat of asteroids?

The asteroid 2024 YR4 is being monitored by NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies(CNEOS), which uses advanced orbital dynamics software to predict its trajectory. This allows NASA’s team to determine if it represents a genuine asteroid impact hazard to Earth. Most asteroids and comets that are observed typically move away from Earth, but NASA’s asteroid monitoring updates its calculations as data gets refined.

What If They Collide?

Although the risk of a potential asteroid collision 2032 is low, some experts recognise the potentially catastrophic consequences of an asteroid impact. The crash may lead to localized damage, impacting Earth’s atmosphere, climate and ecosystems. NASA never fails to remind you of the asteroid warning, so scientists track objects such as 2024 YR4 — they need to in order to minimize any damage that might result from a course interruption.

Tracking Other Space Rocks

Aside from tracking Asteroid 2024 YR4, NASA and the ESA are also monitoring other near-Earth objects closely. (In the case of Bennu, it’s currently at its closest to Earth, and it has a slight chance of hitting us in September 2182.) Yet, scientists say the likelihood of a Bennu strike on Earth is low, but that the impact one day could be devastating if it hits our planet.

Should We Be Concerned?

The scenario of asteroid hitting earth 2032 may not be likely, but the continuous process of NASA asteroid monitoring most well prove useful in their future potential attempts to eliminate potential threats. While scientists track the 2024 YR4 asteroid path, we’ll have greater clarity in the following years about the real asteroid impact risk 2032. So far, the prospects of a collision remain slim, but NASA's watchful eyes make sure we’ll know should the odds change. The official NASA asteroid warning can be followed here for more details on the 2024 YR4 Earth impact risk.

 

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