New asteroid might hit Earth in 2032—scientists are monitoring it.

January 30, 2025
Asteroid

A newly found asteroid has a very small chance of hitting Earth in 2032, according to space officials. Scientists say the odds are just over 1%.

“We’re not worried because there’s a 99% chance it will miss us,” said Paul Chodas of NASA’s Near Earth Object Studies. “But it’s worth watching.”

The asteroid, named 2024 YR4, was first spotted last month by a telescope in Chile. It’s estimated to be between 130 and 330 feet wide. Scientists are tracking it closely, even though it’s currently moving away from Earth. As they learn more about its path, the risk of impact could drop to zero.

The asteroid will fade from view in the coming months but will be monitored by powerful telescopes until then. It won’t be visible again until 2028.

It came closest to Earth on Christmas Day, passing about twice the moon’s distance. Scientists are now checking old sky surveys from 2016 to see if they can spot it in past images. This could help determine if it will hit or miss Earth in 2032.

If it does hit, the impact would happen on December 22, 2032. While asteroids this size strike Earth every few thousand years, causing significant damage, NASA assures that no other known large asteroids currently have a high risk of impact. For now, it’s a wait-and-watch situation.

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