NASA said that Asteroid 2024 YR4, which last year created a buzz over the possibility that it might be a threat to Earth, could hit the Moon in 2032. Asteroid 2024 YR4, approximately 53-67 metres in diameter, about the size of a 10-storey building, was discovered late last year. It has been classified as an Apollo-type asteroid.
It’s not visible from Earth as it is currently too distant to see with telescopes, but the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) managed to observe it one last time before it disappeared in its orbit around the Sun.
NASA said that the asteroid’s probability of impacting the Moon has slightly increased from 3.8% to 4.3%.
The US-based space agency mentioned that there’s a small chance that the asteroid will impact, but it would not alter the Moon’s orbit.
According to James Webb data, the knowledge about the exact location of the asteroid on December 22, 2032, has been improved by nearly 20%.