NASA Monitors Asteroid 2024 YR4 Impact Risk

Asteroid 2024 YR4, discovered by NASA, poses a 2.3% risk of hitting Earth on December 22, 2032, potentially impacting as a 'city killer,' though it is too small to cause an extinction-level event. Scientists are closely monitoring its trajectory, with the James Webb Space Telescope set to refine size and impact probability estimates, as its size ranges between 40 to 90 meters. There is also a 0.3% chance it could hit the Moon, which would result in a visible explosion but minimal risk to Earth. The asteroid's potential impact could release energy equivalent to 15 megatons of TNT, akin to the Tunguska event. Current efforts focus on predicting the asteroid's path more accurately to inform potential deflection strategies. Despite rising odds, experts believe further observations will likely reduce the impact probability to zero as data improves.