US Edition
No Chance Asteroid Will Slam Into the Moon in 2032, NASA Says
New James Webb Space Telescope data rules out lunar impact, showing asteroid 2024 YR4 will pass 13,200 miles from the Moon on Dec. 22, 2032, ending a 4.3% impact probability.
- Thursday's NASA statement from Cape Canaveral declared there is now zero chance that asteroid 2024 YR will crash into the moon in 2032.
- James Webb observations on Feb. 18 and Feb. 26 showed NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies at JPL refined 2024 YR4's trajectory after earlier analyses put lunar-impact odds at 4.3%.
- Discovered in late 2024 by ATLAS, Asteroid 2024 YR4 measures about 200 feet and will pass 13,200 miles from the lunar surface, with Webb observing it faintly since spring 2025.
- NASA concluded the asteroid poses no significant impact risk to Earth on Dec. 22, 2032, or through the next century, and agencies plan continued observation including JWST in 2028.
- Looking ahead, experts warned an impact could equal about 500 Hiroshima bombs and might have been visible from Earth or created meteor showers, while the rock will miss Earth six years from now.
110 Articles
110 Articles
For months it has been one of the most observed objects of the Solar System. Now the alarm has definitely returned: the 2024 YR4 asteroid will not hit either the Earth or the Moon. The new observations made with the space telescope James Webb Space Telescope have in fact allowed to reconstruct with great precision its trajectory, excluding also the possibility of an impact with our satellite on 22 December 2032. The asteroid had attracted the at…
NASA rules out asteroid smashup on the moon in 2032
Here's one less thing to worry about—or to look forward to: NASA has ruled out any chance that an asteroid called 2024 YR4 will hit the moon in 2032. Last year, the uncertainty surrounding the space rock's orbital path held out a slight chance of impact, but fresh observations from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope confirm that it'll be a miss.
According to the ESA, "2024 YR4" was at one time considered the most dangerous asteroid discovered in the past 20 years. Now, the all-clear has been given.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 57% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
