Asteroid 2024 YR4 | 14 May 2025

Source: TH

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has updated its assessment of Asteroid 2024 YR4, initially considered a potential Earth threat, now indicating a 3.8% chance of it colliding with the Moon on December 22, 2032. 

• This collision with the Moon could result in the formation of a large crater and pose a significant risk to lunar missions. 
• Asteroid 2024 YR4: It was first discovered in December 2024, by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope in Chile. 
  • It is a Near-Earth asteroid (NEA) with an orbit that brings it within 1.3 Astronomical Units (1 AU is the average distance from Earth to the Sun) of Earth. 
  • It is estimated to be 53-67 meters wide, about the size of a 15-story building. 

Asteroid:

• About: Asteroids are rocky, airless remnants from the early solar system, formed about 4.6 billion years ago.  
• Location & Size: Mostly found in the Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter, some also follow Earth-crossing orbits. They range in size from a few meters to hundreds of kilometers. 
• Classification: They are classified as Main Belt (between Mars and Jupiter), Trojans (sharing a planet’s orbit at Lagrangian points), and Near-Earth Asteroids (whose orbits bring them close to or intersect Earth’s path). 
• Initiatives Related to Monitoring of Near-Earth Objects:  
  • ESA’s Hera Mission  
  • NETRA Project & Space Junk