NASA says there's higher chance Asteroid 2024 YR4 will hit the Moon
The asteroid was originally projected to hit Earth, but a moon strike is now more likely
We now have a more accurate track on Asteroid YR4
An asteroid scientists feared would cause havoc by striking the Earth in the year 2032 now has an increased likelihood of hitting the Moon. Asteroid 2024 YR4 is currently too distant to detect with telescopes from Earth, but NASA's James Webb Space Telescope collected one more observation of the asteroid before it escaped from view in its orbit around the Sun. With the additional data, experts from NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies at the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California further refined the asteroid's orbit. The Webb data improved our knowledge of where the asteroid will be on 22 December 22, 2032, by nearly 20%. As a result, the asteroid's probability of impacting the Moon has slightly increased from 3.8% to 4.3%. In the small chance that the asteroid were to impact, it would not alter the Moon's orbit. When asteroid 2024 YR4 was first discovered, the asteroid had a small chance of impacting Earth. After more observations, NASA concluded the object poses no significant impact risk to Earth in 2032 and beyond. As additional data comes in, it is normal for the impact probability to evolve. An international team led by Dr. Andy Rivkin from the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, made the observations using Webb's Near-Infrared Camera in May. Asteroid 2024 YR4 is now too far away to observe with either space or ground-based telescopes. NASA expects to make further observations when its orbit around the Sun brings it back into the vicinity of Earth in 2028.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time Out
2 hours ago
- Time Out
The strongest meteor shower of the summer will peak this week—here's how to watch it in the US
Get ready for a celestial show that's brighter, faster and (mostly) free—if you don't count the price of bug spray. The Perseid meteor shower, widely considered the strongest of the summer, will hit its peak Tuesday night into the pre-dawn hours of Wednesday, August 13. At its best, the Perseids can produce up to 100 meteors an hour, zipping across the sky at a breakneck 37 miles per second. This year, though, the cosmos is throwing in a bit of a curveball: an 84-percent full Sturgeon Moon that will wash out fainter streaks. This means you might not see the full 'shooting star' spectacle, but bright fireballs—those extra-dazzling meteors that flare and linger—will still make appearances. NASA says even under moonlit skies, you could catch one or two of these every hour during peak viewing. The Perseids, active from July 17 to August 23, are the handiwork of comet Swift–Tuttle, whose debris trail Earth plows through once a year. These tiny particles (some no bigger than a grain of sand) burn up in our atmosphere, creating those luminous streaks. From our earthly vantage point, they seem to radiate from the constellation Perseus, which is how the shower got its name. You'll want to skip the telescope—meteors can blaze across huge swaths of sky, so you'll want your full field of vision. Find the darkest spot you can, ideally far from city lights and at a higher elevation. Bring a blanket or reclining chair, bundle up (yes, even in August—it gets chilly when you're sitting still) and give your eyes 20 to 30 minutes to adjust to the darkness. Minimize phone use or better yet, switch to a red-light flashlight to protect your night vision. While meteors can appear any time after nightfall, your best odds are between midnight and dawn, when the sky is darkest and Earth is facing into the debris stream. For those willing to gamble on better conditions, you could also try viewing on August 16 or 17, when the moon will rise later, but meteor activity will be lower. Either way, patience is key; the longer you watch, the more likely you are to see something worth gasping over. And unlike most summer blockbusters, this show comes with zero spoilers: just you, the night sky and the occasional cosmic mic drop.
Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Commander of NASA's Apollo 13 mission Jim Lovell dies aged 97
Legendary astronaut Jim Lovell, who commanded the almost-doomed Apollo 13 lunar mission has passed away, aged 97. Lovell helped turn the 1970 failed moon mission into a success by safely returning the crew back to Earth after an oxygen tank exploded. NASA's Sean Duffy announced the commander's passing, and said the astronaut's life and work 'inspired millions of people across the decades'. Duffy said: 'Jim's character and steadfast courage helped our nation reach the moon and turned a potential tragedy into a success from which we learned an enormous amount. We mourn his passing even as we celebrate his achievements. 'From a pair of pioneering Gemini missions to the successes of Apollo, Jim helped our nation forge a historic path in space that carries us forward to upcoming Artemis missions to the moon and beyond.' Lovell was a veteran of spaceflights Gemini VII, Gemini XII, Apollo 8, and Apollo 13. The 1968 Apollo 8 crew, with Lovell, Frank Borman, and William Anders, was the first manned mission to leave Earth's orbit, and the first to fly to and circle the moon. Though they could not land on the lunar surface, their mission still put the U.S. ahead of the Soviets in the space race. Letter writers said the crew's historic 'pale blue dot' photo of Earth from the moon, a world first, and their Christmas Eve reading from the Bible's Genesis helped lift America during the turbulent year. Tom Hanks played Lovell in director Ron Howard's acclaimed 1995 film Apollo 13. The movie was inspired by Lovell's 1994 book Lost Moon: The Perilous Voyage Of Apollo 13. Lovell recalled a meeting with Howard, in which the director asked him which actor he would want to play him. Lovell added: 'I said, Kevin Costner and Hanks never lets me forget that... But Hanks did a great job.' Lovell made a cameo appearance in the film as the commander of the U.S. Navy ship that retrieves the astronauts and shakes hands with Hanks. Lovell, who had a moon crater named in his honor, retired as an astronaut in 1973, working first for a harbor towing company and then in telecommunications. He had four children with his wife Marilyn, who died in 2023.
Wales Online
9 hours ago
- Wales Online
Exact time to spot the Perseid meteor shower from the UK tomorrow
Exact time to spot the Perseid meteor shower from the UK tomorrow The Perseids meteor shower, which is active from July 17 until August 24, is expected to peak on Tuesday Perseid meteor showers have been witnessed for almost 2,000 years (Image: Nick Fitzhardinge via Getty Images) Stargazers are in for a breathtaking spectacle as the Perseids meteor shower reaches its pinnacle tomorrow. The Royal Observatory has confirmed that the meteor shower began on July 17 and will continue through to August 24. Throughout recent evenings, its displays have been building in intensity, with expectations that Tuesday will deliver the most dazzling performance. In fact, NASA has hailed it as the 'most popular meteor shower of the year'. Dr Shyam Balaji, theoretical physicist, King's College London, also commented: "The Perseid meteor shower is caused by the Earth travelling through the debris left by a comet called Swift-Tuttle. "The debris falls through the Earth's atmosphere and as it burns up you get the meteor shower display. It is one the fastest and brightest meteor showers of the year, so an astronomical highlight for stargazers." According to the Mirror, UK observers can anticipate seeing meteors from the moment the sun disappears below the horizon. Jupiter and Venus are also set to make their closest approach to Earth today and tomorrow, offering sky-watchers the chance to potentially witness both planetary giants. UK observers can anticipate seeing meteors from the moment the sun disappears below the horizon (Image: Getty Images) However, Dr Balaji warned that light from the full Moon might make it more challenging to view both these planets and the meteor spectacle. Reports suggest the Moon is expected to shine at around 84%. Dr Balaji continued: "The best place to view the Perseid meteor shower is in the North East near the constellation Perseus. While you can look at the whole sky and are likely to see a meteor, that's the target location in order to get the best viewing experience." She later added: "For me personally, I the best way to view the meteor shower is just with your naked eye because of the speed with which they move. "But you could use Sky Guide or Stellarium or other stargazing apps to get a better viewing experience, to target the right regions of the sky to see the meteor shower." The Perseid meteor shower has been observed for almost 2,000 years. It results from Earth traversing through a dust cloud left in the wake of Comet Swift-Tuttle. The meteors involved are surprisingly minuscule - no larger than a grain of sand - and incinerate upon entering Earth's atmosphere. Travelling at approximately 36 miles per second, these tiny fragments create vivid streaks of light across the sky. Article continues below Named after the constellation Perseus - believed to be their point of origin - the Perseids are renowned for their fireballs. These are distinguished by large explosions of light and colour that linger in the sky longer than an average meteor trail. What do you think? Let us know in the comment sections below
