Scientists warn that a newly discovered asteroid, 2024 YR4, has a 1.2 percent probability of colliding with Earth on December 22, 2032. The nearly 200-foot-wide space rock could cause significant damage, especially if it lands in a densely populated area.
READ MORE:Scientists have warned that a newly discovered 'city-destroying' asteroid has a chance of smashing into Earth in the next decade.
It exploded in the air over Siberia in what's known as an 'air burst,' and a blast equivalent to detonating 50 million tons of TNT flattened an estimated 80 million trees over 830 square miles of forest.But orbital uncertainties could increase the chances from a one to 1.2 percent chance of it directly hitting Earth.
But the odds that this asteroid will hit our planet are low. And even in the unlikely event that it does, scientists are not certain how much damage it would cause. He added that the current 'risk corridor,' or the geographical area where the asteroid is most likely to hit, runs from South America across the Atlantic Ocean to sub-Saharan Africa.
Analysis of 2024 YR4's orbit indicates that the asteroid will come within 66,000 miles of Earth on December 22, 2032. But when orbital uncertainties are factored in, it turns out there is a 1.2 percent chance of it directly hitting out planet A score of three means 2024 YR4 warrants attention from astronomers because it is likely to have a close encounter with Earth and it has a chance of impact over one percent.
Asteroid 2024 YR4 is about the same size as the Tunguska asteroid, which caused the largest impact event in recorded history when it shot through Earth's atmosphere in 1908
ASTEROID SPACE ROCK EARTH IMPACT 2024 YR4 NASA
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