Trending Now - Asteroid 2024 YR4 Confirmed to Miss the Moon Safely
WHO:
Colin Snodgrass, professor of planetary astronomy at the University of Edinburgh
Dr. Andy Rivkin, planetary astronomer at Johns Hopkins University
Prof. Julien de Wit, associate professor of planetary science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Dr. Artem Burdanov, research scientist at the MIT Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences
Dr. Paul Wiegert, professor of astronomy and physics at Western University in London, Ontario
European Space Agency (ESA)
WHAT:
Asteroid 2024 YR4 was discovered in December 2024.
Initially estimated to have a 3.1% chance of colliding with Earth on December 22, 2032.
Later assessed to have a 4.3% chance of impacting the moon.
New observations confirmed that asteroid 2024 YR4 will pass the moon at a distance of 14,229 miles (22,900 kilometers) in 2032.
The observations were made using the James Webb Space Telescope on February 18th and 26th, 2026.
The asteroid is approximately 200 feet (about 61 meters) in diameter.
The asteroid is currently reflecting about as much light as an almond at the distance of the moon.
The margin of error for the distance from the moon is plus or minus 497 miles.
WHERE:
Observations were conducted using the James Webb Space Telescope, which is in orbit around Earth.
The asteroid is located millions of miles from the James Webb Space Telescope's orbit.
WHEN:
Asteroid 2024 YR4 was discovered in December 2024.
The asteroid will pass the moon in 2032.
Observations were made on February 18th and 26th, 2026.
The initial risk assessment for Earth was made in December 2024.
WHY:
The observations aimed to refine the asteroid's trajectory and assess the risk of a lunar impact.
The European Space Agency's Planetary Defence team continues to track near-Earth objects to ensure preparedness for potential threats.
HOW:
The James Webb Space Telescope was used to detect and track the asteroid, which is four billion times fainter than the faintest star visible to the unaided eye.
New techniques were developed to use Webb's instruments for detecting the faint asteroid.
The observations required precise timing and tracking of the asteroid against a backdrop of stars.
(UPDATED March 11, 2026 19:19 UTC)
Asteroid 2024 YR4, discovered in December 2024, was recently observed using the James Webb Space Telescope to refine its trajectory and assess its potential impact risk. Initially estimated to have a 3.1% chance of colliding with Earth on December 22, 2032, the asteroid is now confirmed to pass the moon at a distance of 14,229 miles in 2032, with a margin of error of plus or minus 497 miles. The asteroid, which is about 200 feet in diameter and currently reflecting light similar to an almond, was tracked by a team of experts from institutions including the European Space Agency and MIT during observations conducted on February 18th and 26th, 2026.