Overview

• Asteroid 2024 YR4, once considered a potential Earth threat with a 3% impact probability, now has a near-zero chance of hitting the planet in 2032.
• The James Webb Space Telescope determined the asteroid measures 174-220 feet, making it the smallest object ever observed by the telescope.
• The Moon faces a 3.8% chance of impact from the asteroid in 2032, up from 1.7% earlier this year, which could generate debris affecting human space operations.
• Observations revealed the asteroid's fast spin and rocky surface, lacking fine-grained sand, offering valuable insights for planetary defense strategies.
• NASA plans further observations in May 2025 before the asteroid becomes too faint for ground-based telescopes until its return in 2028.