Asteroid 2024 YR4's Earth Impact Risk Raised to 3.1%, Highest Ever Recorded

NASA and ESA continue monitoring the asteroid, which could pass dangerously close to Earth in December 2032.

Asteroid 2024 YR4, discovered in December 2024, has an updated 3.1% chance of colliding with Earth on December 22, 2032.
The asteroid is estimated to be 40 to 90 meters in diameter, capable of causing localized destruction if it impacts.
Potential damage includes atmospheric explosion, heat waves, and pressure shockwaves, with effects comparable to the Tunguska event of 1908.
The Torino Impact Hazard Scale assigns the asteroid a level 3, indicating a collision cannot be ruled out and further observation is required.
NASA and ESA are collecting data to refine risk assessments, with the James Webb Space Telescope scheduled for further observations in March.