The asteroid known as 2024 YR4 will bypass Earth, but it is quite likely to collide with the Moon in late 2032. CNN writes about this, UNN reports.
Details
It is noted that the building-sized asteroid, discovered in late 2024, was initially considered a potential object that could hit our planet.
Such a probability was estimated at 3.1% in February - chances that made it the riskiest asteroid ever observed
It is indicated that the probable collision of 2024 YR4 with the Moon could be the most powerful impact in the last 5,000 years.
"Asteroids like 2024 YR4, colloquially dubbed 'city killer' after its discovery, could cause regional devastation if they collide with our planet. In the event of a collision with the Moon, a crater up to 1 kilometer in diameter could form, with up to 100 million kilograms of dust and debris launched into space. Although Earth is not threatened by debris impact, some fine lunar dust could reach the planet's atmosphere - and cause a meteor shower visible to the naked eye," the article states.
For reference
In February, NASA confirmed that asteroid 2024 YR4 does not threaten Earth for the next 100 years. There is only a 1.7% chance of its collision with the Moon.
Earlier, NASA reduced the probability of asteroid 2024 YR4 colliding with our planet to 0.28%.
Recall
NASA is preparing to launch Arcstone, an innovative space instrument that will use light reflected from the Moon to calibrate Earth observation sensors. This will allow for more reliable and versatile measurements.