- There is an asteroid which has been detected by scientists who are studying its possibility of colliding with earth
- The asteroid is known as the Asteroid 2024 YR4 and it has a 2.2% chance of hitting our planet on December 22, 2032
- However, scientists at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are still observing the asteroid
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Scientists are monitoring a large asteroid which has a slight potential of colliding with Earth.
Scientists at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and The European Space Agency (ESA) are still monitoring the space object and updating the possibility of a collision.
The Asteroid 2024 YR4 has a small percentage of hitting earth. Photo credit: Getty Images/XiXinXing, ANDRZEJ WOJCICKI/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY and Science Photo Library – ANDRZEJ WOJCICKI.Source: Getty Images
According to available data, the risk assessment has increased from a chance of 1.2% over the last week due to new observations by scientists working monitoring the asteroid which is known as Asteroid 2024 YR4.
TheTalk.NG presents some other interesting things you should know about Asteroid 2024 YR4.
1. Asteroid 2024 YR4 discovery date
The Asteroid 2024 YR4 was first discovered in 2025 when scientists spotted and started monitoring its ability to devastate Earth if there is a collision.
NASA states on its website that news of the Asteroid 2024 YR4 was first reported on 27 January 2025.
The space agency says:
“2024 YR4 was first reported to the Minor Planet Center – the international clearing house for small body positional measurements – by the NASA-funded Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) in Chile on January 27, 2025. ATLAS comprises several telescopes around the world and is managed by the University of Hawaii’s Institute for Astronomy.”
2. What is the size of Asteroid 2024 YR4?
The Asteroid 2024 YR4 is a large object which is 130 to 300 feet in size or 40 to 90 meters.
NASA says:
“2024 YR4 is estimated to be about 130 to 300 feet (40 – 90 meters) wide.”
This size is the same as the one reported by the European Space Agency (ESA). Scientists estimate that the asteroid compares in size to a large building.
3. Will Asteroid 2024 YR4 destroy Earth?
The answer to this is NO, because according to scientists, the possibility of the stone colliding with earth is very small.
NASA says:
“It has a very small chance of Earth impact. It is large enough to cause localized damage in the unlikely event that it should impact Earth, and while 2024 YR4 has a very small chance of Earth impact in 2032, it has surpassed the 1% impact probability threshold.”
4. When is Asteroid 2024 YR4 expected to potentially hit earth?
First, scientists are still monitoring if it would hit Earth at all, and there is a small possibility it would.
In the event that this happens, it is expected to take place on Dec. 22, 2032.
NASA says:
“As more observations of the asteroid’s orbit are obtained, its impact probability will become better known. It is possible that 2024 YR4 will be ruled out as an impact hazard, as has happened with many other objects that have previously appeared on the NASA JPL asteroid risk list.”
5. Will Asteroid 2024 YR4 hit Nigeria?
Some news organisations reported that Nigeria is one of the countries that might be impacted if Asteroid 2024 YR4 hits the earth.
However, in the publications by NASA and the ESA, there were no mentions of specific locations where Asteroid 2024 YR4 could impact.
CNN reports that in 2013, a 20-meter-wide (66-foot-wide) asteroid entered Earth’s atmosphere over Chelyabinsk, Russia.
The report states that it exploded midair and damaged 7,000 buildings and injuring more than 1,000 people.
What to know about natural resources in DR Congo
Meanwhile, TheTalk.NG reported that the Democratic Republic of the Congo is arguably one of the most strategically important countries in the world in terms of mineral resources
DR Congo is home to many precious minerals such as cobalt, lithium, tantalum, gold, diamond, and more estimated to be worth over $24 trillion
However, a vast majority of people do not know that the tantalum used to make parts of their mobile phones may have originated from the DR Congo
Source: TheTalk.NG
