Asteroid 2024 YR4 has a very small chance of hitting Earth, as new observations showed that it has been downgraded to "No Hazard" Level on the Torino impact scale, a tool for categorizing the impact hazard associated with near-Earth objects such as asteroids and comets.
NASA has significantly lowered the risk of near-Earth asteroid 2024 YR4 as an impact threat to Earth for the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, there is still a very small chance for the asteroid to impact the Moon on Dec. 22, 2032, and that probability is currently 1.7%.
"Experts at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s (JPL’s) Center for Near-Earth Object Studies were able to calculate more precise models of the asteroid’s trajectory and now have found there is no significant potential for this asteroid to impact our planet for the next century," - US Space Administraiton stated.
Asteroid 2024 YR4 was first discovered on December 27, 2024. Since then, astronomers have been closely monitoring its trajectory, as initial observations indicated a roughly 1% chance of a collision with Earth on December 22, 2032.
The European Space Agency (ECA) stated that for asteroids larger than 30 metres in size, 2024 YR4 held the record for the highest impact probability reached, and the longest time spent with an impact probability greater than 1%.
Follow-up observations briefly raised the likelihood of an impact, with the probability reaching 3.1%. This led to the asteroid being considered the most dangerous space object tracked to date
"Thanks to new observations, Earth is now at the edge of our shrinking ‘uncertainty window.’ If this trend continues, the risk may soon reach 0%," - ECA has reported.
The probability that asteroid 2024 YR4 might impact Earth on 22 December 2032 has dropped from 2.8% to 1.4% to 0.16% in just a couple of days. Asteroid 2024 YR4 has an almost 99% chance of safely passing Earth.
NASA estimates that the space rock has a 0.0017% chance of hitting Earth in December 2032
"NASA will continue to observe asteroid 2024 YR4 with observatories funded by its Planetary Defense Coordination Office, and NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope will observe the asteroid in March to further gain insights about its size for scientific purposes" - US space agency stated.
Uzbekistan plans to establish production facilities in Qatar as part of a strategy to expand exports and strengthen its presence in Gulf markets....
The Kremlin has welcomed recent signals from several major European capitals suggesting a renewed openness to dialogue with Moscow, calling the shift ...
Georgia’s ruling party has launched a formal legal challenge against the BBC, accusing the British public broadcaster of spreading false, defamatory...
An AnewZ documentary exposes the informal, illicit, and semi-legal trade networks operating beyond official markets....
Britain’s Royal Navy has successfully conducted the maiden flight of its first full-sized autonomous helicopter, designed to track submarines and ca...
A SpaceX capsule carrying a four-member crew home from orbit in an emergency return to earth necessitated by an undisclosed serious medical condition afflicting one of the astronauts splashed down safely early on Thursday (15 January) in the Pacific Ocean off California.
A SpaceX capsule departed the International Space Station on Wednesday carrying a four-member crew on an emergency return flight to Earth necessitated by an undisclosed serious medical condition afflicting one of the astronauts aboard.
NASA’s experimental X-59 quiet supersonic jet successfully took off from U.S. Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, early on Tuesday (October 28), marking a major milestone in the future of high-speed air travel.
NASA has announced that it will reopen bidding for its flagship U.S. moon landing contract, citing mounting delays in Elon Musk’s SpaceX Starship lunar lander project.
At least four people were injured after a large fire and explosions hit a residential building in the Dutch city of Utrecht, authorities said.
Sweden is sending a group of military officers to Greenland at Denmark’s request, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on Wednesday, as Nordic countries and NATO allies step up coordination around the Arctic territory.
Saudi Arabia has informed Iran that it will not allow its territory or airspace to be used for any military action against Tehran, according to two sources close to the kingdom’s government cited by AFP.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said on Wednesday that Denmark was unable to change the U.S. position on Greenland after talks with American officials in Washington.
A crane collapse at a construction site near Bangkok has killed two people and injured five others on Thursday, Thai police said, a day after a separate crane accident derailed a train in northeastern Thailand, killing dozens.
Britain’s Royal Navy has successfully conducted the maiden flight of its first full-sized autonomous helicopter, designed to track submarines and carry out high-risk maritime missions amid rising tensions in the North Atlantic.
Dubai is set to launch commercial air taxi services by the end of the year, according to the emirate’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).
Astronomers have observed a white dwarf - a highly compact Earth-sized stellar ember - that is creating a colourful shockwave as it moves through space, leaving them searching for an explanation.
Apple will use Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence (AI) models for its revamped Siri voice assistant later this year, in a multi-year deal that strengthens the tech giants’ partnership and boosts Alphabet’s position in the race against OpenAI.
China has begun exporting a rapid blackout recovery technology designed to restore electricity in just 0.1 seconds, offering power grid protection to 12 countries facing rising risks of outages and instability.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment