The odds of a collision with asteroid 2024 YR4 have increased to 1-in-43, prompting China to form a planetary defense team. The giant asteroid, capable of causing widespread devastation, has become a top priority for scientists worldwide. Experts are exploring various strategies, including kinetic impactors and nuclear detonation, to deflect the asteroid. China's new team will focus on advancing asteroid monitoring and building early warning systems.
CHINA is assembling a planetary defence team after a giant "city-killer" asteroid was discovered hurtling towards Earth.Asteroid 2024 YR4 as observed by the Magdalena Ridge 2.4m telescope at the New Mexico Institute of Technology on January 27, 2025The odds of a collision with between the asteroid and our planet have been slashed to a 1-in-43 chance.
"But we don't have much time, and we don't have enough info about this rapidly fading asteroid to properly inform our planetary defense decisions yet."could be like "turning a cannonball into a shotgun spray", increasing the possible devastation on Earth. The European Union-funded NEO Shield consortium said last week that the use of a nuclear bomb would be a last resort.
If carried out correctly, there would be minimal damage to the asteroid, and therefore no risk of chunks of space rock falling to Earth. Astronomers are set to use the JWST in March to measure the exact size of 2024 YR4 and make any final calculations around its orbit.The JWST, used by both the ESA and NASA, will take images of 2024 YR4 from its position a million miles away from Earth.
Space ASTEROID PLANETARY DEFENSE CHINA 2024 YR4 COLLISION SPACE EXPLORATION
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