CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has captured new images of asteroid 2024 YR4, a space rock that once raised concerns about a possible collision with Earth in 2032.
Discovered late last year, 2024 YR4 was initially estimated to have a 3% chance of impacting Earth. However, further observations have reduced the threat to nearly zero, although scientists note a slight possibility that it could hit the Moon instead. The asteroid follows a four-year orbit, bringing it close to Earth periodically.
The European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA released Webb’s images on Wednesday, showing the asteroid as a fuzzy dot against the backdrop of space. The telescope’s observations confirmed that the asteroid is approximately 200 feet (60 meters) in diameter, roughly the height of a 15-story building. It is the smallest object ever observed by Webb, the largest and most powerful space telescope ever deployed.
Johns Hopkins University astronomer Andrew Rivkin, who contributed to the observations, emphasized the importance of Webb’s findings, stating:
“This gives us a window to understand what other objects the size of 2024 YR4 are like, including the next one that might be heading our way.”
Ground-based telescopes have also been monitoring the asteroid, adding to the growing data on near-Earth objects. Scientists believe Webb’s observations provide invaluable insights into asteroids that could pose potential threats in the future.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
