Trending Now - NASA Confirms Asteroid 2024 YR4 Will Safely Pass Moon in 2032
WHO:
NASA
European Space Agency (ESA)
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHUAPL)
Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS)
Ed Lu, former astronaut and head of the B612 Foundation's Asteroid Institute
Corey S. Powell, co-editor-in-chief of OpenMind Magazine
WHAT:
NASA confirmed that asteroid 2024 YR4 will not impact the Moon.
The asteroid was previously thought to have a 4.3% chance of hitting the Moon.
New observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) ruled out the lunar impact.
2024 YR4 will pass the Moon at a distance of 13,200 miles (21,200 kilometers) on December 22, 2032.
The asteroid is approximately 60 meters (197 feet) in diameter.
The asteroid was discovered on December 27, 2024.
WHERE:
The observations were made using the James Webb Space Telescope.
The asteroid was discovered in Chile.
WHEN:
Observations were conducted on February 18 and February 26, 2026.
The asteroid will pass the Moon on December 22, 2032.
The asteroid was discovered at the end of 2024.
WHY:
The observations were necessary to refine the asteroid's orbit and eliminate the risk of a lunar impact.
HOW:
The JWST used its Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) to track the asteroid against a backdrop of stars.
The observations were coordinated through collaboration between ESA’s Near-Earth Object Coordination Centre, NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies, and the Webb mission.
The telescope's extreme sensitivity allowed it to detect one of the faintest asteroids ever observed.
NASA has confirmed that asteroid 2024 YR4 will not impact the Moon, despite earlier predictions that suggested a 4.3% chance of a collision. New observations from the James Webb Space Telescope, conducted on February 18 and February 26, ruled out the lunar impact, revealing that the asteroid will pass at a safe distance of 13,200 miles on December 22, 2032. Discovered in Chile at the end of 2024, this asteroid is approximately 60 meters in diameter and was tracked using the telescope's Near-Infrared Camera, showcasing a successful collaboration between various space agencies.