Rare Planetary Alignment and Asteroid Threat Described

Asteroid 2024 YR4, discovered late last year, is on a possible collision course with Earth, with a 2.3% chance of impact on December 22, 2032. Separately, a rare planetary alignment is taking place on February 28, 2025, involving seven planets including Mercury, Venus, and Mars, marking the first such event in 15 years. This celestial alignment is a significant opportunity for stargazers and holds potential for advancements in understanding planetary dynamics and space navigation. Meanwhile, astronomers have used the James Webb Space Telescope to observe the young star system PDS 70, providing insights into the early stages of planetary formation as planets PDS 70 b and 70 c develop. This observation allows scientists to study the competitive growth of planets emerging from a disk of gas and dust.