NASA Reveals Opportunities For YR4 Asteroid Collision With The Moon To Increase, What About Earth?

JAKARTA Asteroid 2024 YR4 which is expected to hit Earth in 2032 is still being observed today. In the latest findings, the asteroid is predicted not to hit Earth, but the Moon.

NASA, in its latest report, stated that the asteroid measuring 53 to 67 meters is difficult to detect for now. However, before the asteroid disappeared from orbits surrounding the Sun, NASA had collected one additional data.

"Although the 2024 asteroid YR4 is currently too far away to be detected with Earth-based telescopes capturing one more asteroid image before disappearing from the view in its orbit around the Sun," NASA said, quoted on Tuesday, June 10.

These observations take advantage of the space telescope of James Webb belonging to the space agency. Experts from NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies, which is located at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) stated that the chances increased by 0.5 percent.

Previously, the possibility of the asteroid hitting the Moon was 3.8 percent, but now it has increased to 4.3 percent. This percentage is still relatively small and there may be changes in the future. NASA is also still observing whether YR4 still threatens Earth.

As the name implies, this asteroid was first discovered at the end of last year with a small potential colliding with Earth. Percentages related to collision opportunities with Earth also continue to change, but currently the chances are much smaller than the Moon.

Recent NASA observations stated that, "the object does not pose a significant risk of impact on Earth in 2032 and beyond." There is still a possibility that the collision will change in the future.

NASA scientists confirm that the asteroid YR4 is too far to be observed by various telescopes, both on land and in space. This astronomical object will be further observed after its asteroid reappears around Earth, namely in 2028.