CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Scientists from NASA have confirmed that a previously monitored asteroid will no longer pose any risk of colliding with the Moon in 2032, following new observations that refined its trajectory.
The space agency announced that asteroid 2024 YR4 will safely pass the Moon on Dec. 22, 2032, eliminating earlier concerns that it might strike the lunar surface. Updated calculations show the asteroid will miss the Moon by about 13,200 miles (21,200 kilometers).
Earlier estimates had suggested a 4.3% chance that the asteroid could hit the Moon. However, new measurements from the James Webb Space Telescope helped astronomers refine the object’s orbit with greater precision, allowing scientists to rule out a collision.
Asteroid 2024 YR4 was first detected on Dec. 27, 2024 by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS), a NASA-funded global network of telescopes designed to identify potentially hazardous near-Earth objects.
When it was initially discovered, scientists briefly considered the possibility that the asteroid could pose a threat to Earth in 2032. Further observations quickly ruled out any impact with the planet for at least the next century, though the Moon remained a possible target until the latest orbital recalculations.
Researchers estimate the asteroid measures between 174 and 220 feet (53 to 67 meters) across, roughly comparable to a 15-story building. Objects of this size could cause localized damage if they were to strike Earth, though impacts of similar scale occur only once every several thousand years.
Astronomers noted that even if the asteroid had struck the Moon, it would not have altered the Moon’s orbit. However, scientists say such an event could have created a sizable crater and provided a rare opportunity to study a lunar impact in real time.
Planetary defense experts will continue monitoring asteroid 2024 YR4 as it travels through the inner solar system. The object is expected to make another harmless flyby near Earth in 2028, when astronomers will gather additional observations to further refine its orbit.
NASA maintains a global monitoring program through its Center for Near-Earth Object Studies, tracking thousands of asteroids whose orbits cross Earth’s path in order to detect potential hazards long before any possible impact.
Paraluman P. Funtanilla
Paraluman P. Funtanilla is Tutubi News Magazine's Marketing Specialist and is a Contributing Editor. She finished her degree in Communication Arts in De La Salle Lipa. She has worked as a Digital Marketer for start-up businesses and small business spaces for the past two years. She has earned certificates from Coursera on Brand Management: Aligning Business Brand and Behavior and Viral Marketing and How to Craft Contagious Content. She also worked with Asia Express Romania TV Show.
- Paraluman P. Funtanilla
- Paraluman P. Funtanilla
- Paraluman P. Funtanilla
- Paraluman P. Funtanilla
