The asteroid "2024 YR4" currently has a 0.3 percent chance of hitting the Moon, according to astronomer David Rankin from the "Catalina Sky Survey Project" at the University of Arizona in the USA on the microblogging service Bluesky. For Earth, the collision would not be dangerous, but it would be clearly visible from Earth.

Asteroid "2024 YR4": 2.3 Percent Chance of Impact on Earth

However, the probability that the asteroid will hit Earth in 2032 is higher. The European Space Agency ESA estimated it at two percent, and the US space agency NASA at 2.3 percent. This makes "2024 YR4" currently the asteroid with the highest probability of hitting Earth.

Moon Crater from Asteroid "2024 YR4" of About Two Kilometers in Diameter

Rankin estimates that the impact on the Moon would leave a crater about two kilometers in diameter. Even if material were ejected towards Earth, it would most likely burn up upon entering Earth's atmosphere.

James Webb Space Telescope to Determine Size of Asteroid "2024 YR4"

Estimates of the size and composition of the asteroid are still imprecise. Additionally, it can only be observed with telescopes until April, after which it will disappear from their field of view. It will not come close enough to Earth to be observed with telescopes again until 2028. To determine the size of the asteroid more accurately, the most powerful telescope in space, the James Webb Space Telescope, will also be directed at the asteroid in March.

(APA/Red)

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