Asteroid 2024 YR4, measuring between 174 and 220 feet (53 to 67 meters) in diameter, has a 4% chance of colliding with the Moon on December 22, 2032, according to the European Space Agency and recent observations. Initially considered a potential Earth impactor, the probability of it striking Earth has now been ruled out. However, if 2024 YR4 impacts the Moon, it could generate a massive explosion, sending debris streaming toward Earth. This debris poses a threat to satellites in Earth's orbit, including Starlink satellites, and could create a spectacular meteor shower visible from the planet. Experts warn that the lunar collision would be the most violent in millennia and could eject around 100,000 tons of debris, with approximately 10% potentially reaching Earth. While the Moon itself would remain intact, the event could disrupt space technology and pose risks to astronauts. Observations from the James Webb Space Telescope and other sources have refined the asteroid's trajectory, maintaining the 4% impact probability until further data becomes available around mid-2028.
Asteroid 2024 YR4, a 60-meter-wide space rock, has a 4% chance of striking the Moon on December 22, 2032. If it does, the collision would unleash energy equivalent to 6.5 megatons of TNT, creating a 1-km-wide crater and ejecting up to 100 million kilograms of moondust into space. https://t.co/u02w5GIo8I
El asteroide que podría reescribir la historia lunar: ¿impactará en 2032? https://t.co/WtqGJu24NZ
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