NASA's Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System identified an asteroid named 2024 YR4 on December 27, 2024. This space rock has garnered attention due to its approximate 1-in-83 chance of colliding with Earth in 2032. The asteroid is currently classified as a Level 3 on the Torino Impact Hazard Scale, indicating that its potential encounter with Earth merits public and official attention if it occurs within the next decade. While its size of 180 feet (55 meters) does not pose a threat to human civilization, it could release energy equivalent to more than 500 times that of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan.
The asteroid's journey includes a notable near-miss expected in late 2028, followed by six additional close approaches between 2032 and 2074. NASA marks December 22, 2032, as the date with the highest probability of impact. Despite these concerning predictions, most asteroids similar to 2024 YR4 are eventually downgraded to Level 0 on the Torino Scale. This means "the likelihood of a collision is zero, or is so low as to be effectively zero."
Asteroid 2024 YR4's detection was aided by the James Webb telescope, which has also identified over 100 new asteroids between Jupiter and Mars. Intriguingly, this celestial body is a hybrid of an asteroid and a comet. This discovery underscores the telescope's capability in advancing our understanding of space objects.
The potential threat posed by such asteroids has prompted NASA and other space agencies to explore redirection techniques. The Double Asteroid Redirection Test mission exemplifies these efforts, aiming to develop effective strategies to alter the paths of threatening space rocks.
