Asteroid 2024 YR4: NASA’s new simulation increases chances of ‘city killer’ asteroid to hit Earth
A big danger from space is rapidly approaching the Earth. America’s space agency NASA has issued a statement regarding this. In the statement, NASA said that the asteroid is so dangerous that it can destroy any city. There is a 3.1 percent chance of this rock hitting the Earth by the year 2032. However, the agency also said that there is no need to panic too much about it. NASA has named this asteroid 2024 YR4.
Why are scientists worried?
The space agency further said that from next month the James Webb Space Telescope will monitor the 2024 YR4 asteroid. Talking to a news agency about this, Planetary Society Chief Scientist Bruce Bates said that ‘I am not nervous, but it is natural that when the chances of an asteroid hitting the Earth increase, you cannot be happy either. Further said that as we get data related to it, the probability of its collision may also become zero.’
How big is this rock?
The 2024 YR4 asteroid was first detected on December 27 last year by El Sauce Observatory in Chile. Scientists believe that based on its brightness, its size is 130 to 300 feet (40-90 meters) wide. After analyzing its glowing signs, it was told that it is made of a rare metal.
How much damage will it cause and where?
Scientists believe that if it collides with the Earth, a big blast can occur. The power of the blast is expected to be 8 megatons of TNT (500 times more than Hiroshima’s atom bomb). It was also told that this asteroid could fall any where on the planet. After analyzing more data, researchers will be able to narrow down likely impact regions.
When can it collide?
The International Asteroid Warning Network issued a warning about this asteroid on January 29. At that time, the probability of it hitting the Earth was 1 percent. Since then, this figure has been constantly fluctuating, but now the problem seems to be increasing. According to NASA, now the probability of hitting the Earth is 3.1 percent, andaccording to NASA, it can hit the Earth on December 22, 2032.
