Overview
- Asteroid 2024 YR4, discovered in late December 2024, currently has a 1.2% chance of colliding with Earth on December 22, 2032.
- The asteroid, which is 180 feet wide, has been rated Level 3 on the Torino Impact Hazard Scale, the highest level for any known object at present.
- If it impacts Earth, the asteroid could release energy equivalent to 8 megatons of TNT, similar to the 1908 Tunguska Event in Siberia.
- Astronomical organizations, including NASA and the European Space Agency, are conducting follow-up observations to refine the asteroid's trajectory and impact probability.
- International asteroid response groups are preparing to assess potential mitigation strategies, though further observations may rule out the likelihood of a collision.