NASA intensifies asteroid monitoring with low impact probability in 2032

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has increased asteroid monitoring near Earth 2024 YR4, after a recent analysis revealed an increase in its probability of impact.

According to the latest observations, the possibility that this asteroid collide with the Earth on December 22, 2032 is 2.3 %. Although this figure is considered low, scientists maintain constant asteroid monitoring.

The 2024 YR4, whose size is estimated between 40 and 90 meters wide, was discovered on December 27, 2024 by a season of the last system of land impact of asteroids, financed by NASA in Chile.

The asteroid was included in the NASA Sentry Risk List on December 31, 2024. This list includes all the asteroids close to the land that have some probability of impact.

NASA will continue to track the asteroid through terrestrial telescopes until April, when it becomes too weak to be observed until June 2028. In addition, NASA’s James Webb space telescope will make an observation of 2024 YR4 in March 2025 to obtain data more precise about its size and characteristics.

It is important to remember that many asteroids in the risk list have been discarded as threats as more data is collected. NASA maintains updated information on the trajectory and risk of this and other asteroids on its Sentry page.

The impact probability of 2024 YR4 is expected to be reviewed as more observations are obtained. This could result in a decrease in its risk of collision.