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Time of India
31-07-2025
- Science
- Time of India
What happens if the moon takes a hit? Scientists brace for a possible asteroid collision
NASA Asteroid Alert: Scientists are watching asteroid 2024 YR4 closely after it was first spotted in late 2024. While it's no longer on a collision course with Earth, there's still a 4 percent chance it could crash into the Moon by 2032. The impact could blast debris into space, risk satellite damage, and create a short-lived meteor shower on Earth. Space agencies are especially worried about future missions and infrastructure like NASA's Lunar Gateway, which could be caught in the fallout. Disclaimer Statement: This content is authored by a 3rd party. The views expressed here are that of the respective authors/ entities and do not represent the views of Economic Times (ET). ET does not guarantee, vouch for or endorse any of its contents nor is responsible for them in any manner whatsoever. Please take all steps necessary to ascertain that any information and content provided is correct, updated, and verified. ET hereby disclaims any and all warranties, express or implied, relating to the report and any content therein. More
Hindustan Times
30-07-2025
- Science
- Hindustan Times
This asteroid may hit the Moon in 2032 and Earth could witness a meteor shower
Scientists have been tracking asteroid 2024 YR4 since it popped onto the radar late last year. It is not headed towards the Earth anymore, but there is still a 4% chance it could collide with the Moon in 2032. According to a new study, which is still under peer review, if the asteroid does hit the lunar surface, it could dig out a crater over half a mile wide and blast debris straight into space. Asteroid 2024 YR4 was discovered last year(Unsplash) Some of that junk could cross paths with the Earth, possibly creating a rare meteor shower and putting low-orbit satellites at risk. And while a space rock slamming into the Moon sounds like sci-fi, scientists are not ruling it out yet. A few inches of rock, a lot of chaos According to Fox News, the asteroid is small by cosmic standards - just 175 to 220 feet across, or roughly the height of a 15-story building. But with enough speed and the right angle, it could do real damage. On March 26, 2025, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope locked onto it, confirming its rocky, jagged surface and surprisingly reflective body. It is the tiniest object Webb has targeted so far. If the asteroid does hit, simulations show it will strike somewhere on the Moon's southern half. The result? A violent spray of lunar rock, with some bits possibly reaching the Earth's orbit. The debris would not wipe out satellites, but small fragments could pepper them for weeks - or months - causing damage, even temporary outages. 'Hundreds to thousands of impacts from mm-sized debris' could be scattered across the satellite fleet, the researchers wrote. What more to expect? If even a sliver of that ejected lunar material hits Earth's atmosphere, we would see it really fast. 'The resulting meteor shower could last a few days and be spectacular,' the study says. Because the debris would be moving slowly by meteor standards, the light show might be a little more subdued than usual but still visible. The real concern, though, is not what we would see - it's what we might lose. NASA's upcoming Lunar Gateway, a space station planned to orbit the Moon, could face serious danger from impact fragments. Until 2028, when the asteroid comes back into view, scientists won't have much more to go on. FAQs Is asteroid 2024 YR4 going to hit Earth? No, current data shows it poses no threat to the planet. Will it hit the Moon? Yes, though the odds are low, about 4%. But there's still a chance. When would it strike the Moon? If it does, scientists estimate the impact could happen in 2032.
Economic Times
30-07-2025
- Science
- Economic Times
Asteroid 2024 YR4 may smash into moon, wipe out 10,000 satellites, and trigger meteor showers on earth
Asteroid 2024 YR4: Scientists detected Asteroid 2024 YR4. It may hit the Moon. There is a 4% chance of impact. A collision could create a large crater. Lunar debris might trigger meteor showers on Earth. This poses a risk to thousands of satellites. Spacecraft orbiting the Moon could also face danger. Impacts may damage satellites in the near future. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Will Asteroid 2024 YR4 Hit the Moon? Scientists Warn of Lunar Impact Risk Size of Asteroid 2024 YR4 and the Scale of Potential Moon Crater Could Lunar Debris from the Impact Trigger Meteor Showers on Earth? Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Over 10,000 Satellites at Risk If Lunar Debris Reaches Earth Orbit FAQs was detected by scientists and raises warnings of a close possibility to hit thein the near future, as per a report. Although there is only a 4% possibility of impact, the experts caution that in case it hits, its effects would ripple beyond our lunar neighbor and could pose a threat to thousands of satellites revolving around, as well as throw spectacularinto Earth, as per The Express last year, asteroid 2024 YR4 initially caused panic as it appeared to be heading straight for Earth, briefly earning a high threat level on the Torino Impact Hazard Scale, according to the report. But follow-up observations, including crucial data from, reassured scientists that Earth itself is not at risk at present, as per The Express. Instead, attention has shifted to the Moon, where the asteroid might still make a dramatic impact, according to the READ: Who will inherit Ozzy Osbourne's $220 million fortune? Here's who gets what It measures between 175 to 220 feet wide, and it is wide enough that if it were to strike the Moon, it would create a crater of more than half a mile in diameter, the largest lunar impact in about 5,000 years, according to The at thesubmitted a study for review that found that the impact of the asteroid on the Moon could eject lunar debris into space and toward Earth, as reported by The READ: Before Sharon: Meet the first Mrs Osbourne who wiped Ozzy from her life completely The potential meteor shower would be a risk to the thousands ofthat orbit Earth, as per the report. With more than 10,000 operational satellites and more than 25,000 pieces of space trash in low-Earth orbit, the incoming space junk has the potential to cause collisions, damage, and disruptions that would last for a days, according to The have warned that the debris could pose a 'serious hazard to moon-orbiting spacecraft,' such as NASA's Lunar Gateway, and could be an 'even greater danger' to surface operations on the moon, as reported by The authors explained, 'Given the very large total exposed area for satellites by 2032, it becomes possible that hundreds to thousands of impacts from mm-sized debris ejected by a lunar impact from 2024 YR4 will be experienced across the entire satellite fleet," adding, 'Such impacts may damage satellites, but are small enough to generally not end active missions or cause breakups,' as quoted in The about a 4% chance it could collide with the Moon within the next Scientists have confirmed that Earth is currently safe from this asteroid.
Yahoo
29-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Potential asteroid impact on Moon in 2032 could trigger massive meteor shower on Earth
What happens if an asteroid the size of a 15-story building crashes into the Moon in 2032? While the chances of the newly discovered asteroid 2024 YR4 hitting the Moon in seven years are slim – there is currently a 96% chance it won't happen – an impact of this size would not come without consequences for the Moon, astronauts and spacecraft orbiting Earth. A new study submitted for review by scientists with the University of Western Ontario and Athabasca University in Canada took observations from the James Webb Space Telescope of asteroid 2024 YR4 and used simulations to show how much lunar debris would be ejected out into space, sending pieces of the Moon toward Earth. Odds Of Asteroid 2024 Yr4 Hitting The Moon Go Up Again After its initial discovery late last year, the asteroid appeared to have a small chance of impacting Earth, warranting international attention, and jumping to the highest asteroid threat ever given on the Torino Impact Hazard Scale. By February, more ground-based observations of the asteroid helped clear the threat to Earth, but the Moon still faces a possible impact. Earlier this year, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope helped scientists determine that the asteroid is between 175 and 220 feet in diameter. If Asteroid 2024 YR4 crashes into the Moon, it would create a crater more than half a mile in diameter (1 km), becoming the largest impact in about 5,000 years, according to the study. Current calculations show, if it happens, an impact would occur on the Southern Hemisphere. The researchers said this impact would threaten satellites in low-Earth orbit for days or up to a few months, and send a fraction of the ejecta toward Earth. Any lunar debris that makes it within Earth's atmosphere could create a meteor shower event over the planet. "The resulting meteor shower could last a few days and be spectacular, though the number of visible meteors somewhat muted by the low entry speed of ejecta," the research team said. With more than 10,000 active satellites in low-Earth orbit and more than 25,000 pieces of space junk, researchers believe an asteroid strike to the Moon could spell trouble for satellite operators. "Given the very large total exposed area for satellites by 2032, it becomes possible that hundreds to thousands of impacts from mm-sized debris ejected by a lunar impact from 2024 YR4 will be experienced across the entire satellite fleet," the study authors wrote. "Such impacts may damage satellites, but are small enough to generally not end active missions or cause breakups." The researchers say material from the Moon could be a "serious hazard to moon-orbiting spacecraft" such as NASA's Lunar Gateway, a planned orbiting station for astronauts, and an "even greater danger" to any lunar surface operations. Asteroid 2024 YR4 has moved behind the Sun, limiting any new observations until 2028. Scientists say those new observations in a few years will help improve lunar impact article source: Potential asteroid impact on Moon in 2032 could trigger massive meteor shower on Earth Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' pushes for crewed moon missions, but proposed budget cuts leave NASA science behind
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The recent United States government's "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" that was recently signed into law has good news for the future of crewed spaceflight — but at the same time, Trump's proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year nearly annihilates NASA science missions. Let's take a closer look at the positives first. The bill contains special provisions for NASA's Artemis moon program, which seeks to return astronauts to the surface of the moon. Artemis 1, an uncrewed mission that took a jaunt around the moon, has already flown — as things stand, Artemis 2 is scheduled for launch in the first half of 2026 and will send astronauts on a flyby mission around the moon. Artemis 3 is planned to be the first lunar landing since Apollo 17 in 1972. However, beyond these three missions, the new bill makes $4.1 billion available for two new lunar landings, Artemis 4 and Artemis 5, splitting that money into just over a billion dollars that can be spent each year for 2026, 2027, 2028 and 2029. There is also another $20 million set aside for the procurement of the Orion space capsule from Lockheed Martin. Then, there's $2.6 billion allotted for development of the Lunar Gateway station, a proposed outpost that would be set up in orbit around the moon and act as a way-station for missions in the Earth–moon system and beyond. In March, the current administration proposed cutting Artemis and Gateway from its Financial Year (FY) 2026 budget, effectively cancelling the Artemis program after Artemis 3 and relying on private companies to take humans back to the moon. The addition of funding for both in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act is therefore something of a turnaround, an amendment to the Act initiated by Republican senator Ted Cruz of Texas. There will also be $1.25 billion, split into $250 million each year for the years 2025–2029, dedicated to keeping the International Space Station running ahead of its retirement in the early 2030s. The Act also calls for $700 million to fund a high-performance Mars Telecommunications Orbiter, to be procured from a U.S. commercial provider no later than December 31, 2028 which the Act specifies as being "capable of providing robust, continuous communications for a Mars sample-return mission ... [and] future Mars surface, orbital, and human exploration mission." These plans, however, appear to be at odds with the administration's proposed FY 2026 budget, which seeks to gut NASA's science missions, including the Mars sample-return mission. The FY 2026 budget proposes to cut NASA's overall funding by 24%, from $24.8 billion to $18.8 billion, but the cuts would not be spread evenly across the agency. The Science Mission Directorate would take one of the hardest hits, with its funding slashed by 47%. As a result, around half of NASA's science missions either in development or in operation would be cancelled. Among the threatened missions are the Juno mission presently at Jupiter, New Horizons that's on its way out of the solar system, the two proposed Venus missions DAVINCI and VERITAS and Mars Sample Return, for which samples are already waiting to be picked up from the surface of the Red Planet thanks to the Perseverance rover. In response, a joint statement has been issued by all the surviving former heads of NASA's Science Mission Directorate — Alphonso Diaz, John Grunsfeld, Lennard Fisk, Wesley Huntress, Alan Stern, Edward Weiler and Thomas Zurbuchen — requesting that the government rethink the proposed cuts. In their statement, they highlight NASA's science achievements, from the Mars rovers to the James Webb Space Telescope (neither of which are currently under threat, though the JWST could indirectly experience some major effects), and their concern that the budget cuts could see the United States hand its leadership in space science over to China. They write that the proposed budget "walks away from dozens of current, extraordinarily successful and productive science missions in extended operations on a combined budget that is only about three per cent of NASA's annual funding." The threat isn't just to NASA-led missions. The financial budget also calls for the cancellation of NASA contributions to missions by other space agency's, such as an astrobiology instrument and the launch vehicle for the European Space Agency's Rosalind Franklin Mars rover. Related Stories: — Trump's 'One Big Beautiful Bill' gives US Space Force $1 billion for secretive X-37B space plane — Every living former NASA science chief opposes Trump's proposed budget cuts in letter to Congress — Trump's 2026 budget cuts would force the world's most powerful solar telescope to close "The proposed cuts would force the U.S. to abandon its international partners who historically contribute significantly to U.S. space science missions," the former heads write. Meanwhile, the government is continuing with plans to axe these missions even ahead of the FY 2026 bill being signed into law. According to Ars Technica, scientists on dozens of missions have been asked by NASA leadership to provide a "close-out" plan ahead of cancellation, with the assumption that this will happen on Oct. 1, which is the beginning of the next fiscal year in the U.S. All in all, for now, it seems that crewed spaceflight is the winner, while the consequences for NASA's science missions remain muddled and potentially catastrophic. The full text of the Act can be read on the U.S. Senate website. Solve the daily Crossword
