New Asteroid Could Hit Earth in 2032

ISLAMABAD: A newly discovered asteroid, 196 feet wide, has a small chance of hitting Earth in 2032. The risk is currently just over 1%, which is one of the highest probabilities for a large asteroid impact, according to asteroid expert David Rankin.

While the chance of impact is low, scientists are still keeping an eye on it. The asteroid, named 2024 YR4, was first spotted by a telescope in Chile. It’s estimated to be between 130 and 330 feet (40 to 100 meters) wide and is currently moving away from Earth.

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As the asteroid gets farther from Earth, it will be harder to track. But scientists will continue to study it with powerful telescopes while it’s still visible. The asteroid’s closest pass to Earth will be on Christmas Day 2024, coming within about 500,000 miles (800,000 kilometers), roughly twice the distance to the Moon.

It was discovered just two days after its close pass. Researchers are now going through older sky surveys, especially from 2016, to see if the asteroid was nearby before. This could help improve predictions about the 2032 impact risk.

If the asteroid isn’t found in older surveys, the risk will be updated as new data comes in. Asteroids of this size hit Earth every few thousand years, and could cause major damage.

For now, 2024 YR4 is at the top of the European Space Agency’s risk list, with a potential impact on December 22, 2032, but it’s too early to know exactly where it might land.