Post by : Bianca
Haleem
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has confirmed that asteroid 2024 YR4 will not collide with the Moon in 2032. The latest observations from the James Webb Space Telescope have ruled out any possibility of a lunar impact.
Earlier calculations had suggested a small 4.3 percent chance that the asteroid could hit the Moon. However, new and more accurate data collected by the James Webb Telescope in February shows that the asteroid will safely pass by.
According to NASA, asteroid 2024 YR4 will pass at a distance of about 13,200 miles from the Moon’s surface on December 22, 2032, ensuring there is no risk of collision.
The asteroid is estimated to be around 200 feet in diameter, which is roughly the size of a 15-storey building. It was first discovered in late 2024 by an early warning asteroid detection system located in Chile.
In early 2025, scientists briefly considered the possibility that the asteroid might collide with Earth. However, further analysis quickly ruled out any risk to our planet. Uncertainty about a potential Moon impact remained for some time until the latest observations confirmed the asteroid’s safe path.
Scientists were unable to track the asteroid for several months because it became too faint to observe from Earth. It was finally detected again last month when the James Webb Telescope captured new images, allowing experts to precisely calculate its orbit.
With these updated observations, NASA has now confirmed that asteroid 2024 YR4 will safely pass both Earth and the Moon, ending earlier concerns about a possible impact.
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