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Investing.com -- NASA has reported an increased likelihood of asteroid 2024 YR4 colliding with Earth. The space rock, which is large enough to obliterate a city, was initially discovered by NASA in December 2024. At the time, the 130-to-300-foot-wide asteroid was estimated to have a mere 1% chance of impacting Earth.
However, by January 27, 2025, the odds of asteroid 2024 YR4 hitting Earth surpassed the 1% mark, a significant threshold according to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Despite the odds remaining extremely low, further observations and analysis have led to an updated impact probability. The asteroid’s chance of striking Earth was increased to 2.3% on February 7, 2025.
As of February 18, the chances of asteroid 2024 YR4 impacting Earth on December 22, 2032, have risen to 3.1%. This increase in risk level surpasses that of Apophis, an asteroid that scientists feared could hit Earth 20 years ago. Despite the increase, experts stress that the danger remains low, but they are continuing to estimate the potential damage that could occur if the asteroid were to hit Earth.
The International Asteroid Warning Network, using ground-based telescopes, will continue to observe the asteroid until it becomes too faint to see in April. It will not be visible again until around June 2028.
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