NASA Scientists Warn There’s 1 in 32 Chance of Asteroid 2024 YR4 Striking Earth

This possibility also raises concerns about Earth’s safety. Although it is unlikely that the ejected debris would reach our planet—considering the Moon’s gravity and the vast distances involved—any material that did approach would probably burn up in the atmosphere, posing no significant threat. Consequently, continuous monitoring is essential to accurately assess the risk and plan appropriate mitigation measures if necessary.
Even though the chance of 2024 YR4 colliding with the Moon is small, the consequences of such an impact would be extraordinary. The primary concern, however, remains with Earth. Initially, the collision probability was 1.2%, which already set off alarms in the scientific community. Later, that risk doubled to 2.3%, intensifying the concern. Now, with the latest updates, NASA has raised the impact risk to 3.1%—or 1 in 32—marking the highest probability ever recorded for an event of this kind.
The encouraging news is that, if the probability increases, we already have experience deflecting asteroids, as demonstrated by the DART mission. Should the impact occur on the Moon, we might witness a meteor shower; if it strikes Earth, the released energy—estimated at 8 megatons—would be enough to devastate a large city, similar to the atmospheric explosion in 1908 that flattened thousands of square miles of forest in Siberia, if the impact were to hit a densely populated area.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Music by Pixabay: https://pixabay.com/music/ambient-nebula-space-clouds-9387/

Видео NASA Scientists Warn There’s 1 in 32 Chance of Asteroid 2024 YR4 Striking Earth канала Today in the Space World