Asteroid 2024 YR4 has a 0.3% chance of colliding with the Moon, potentially releasing energy equivalent to 340 Hiroshima bombs and creating a visible spectacle from Earth.
By Aniket Chakraborty
Feb 15, 2025
First spotted in December by NASA's alert system in Chile, the asteroid's chances of hitting Earth increased from 1.3% to 2.3% within a week.
2
The space rock measures between 130 to 300 feet across and ranks as a level 3 on the Torino Impact Hazard Scale.
3
If Earth impact occurs, potential strike zones include the Eastern Pacific, northern South America, Atlantic Ocean, Africa, Arabian Sea, and South Asia.
4
The asteroid follows a unique four-year elliptical orbit, traveling through inner planets before extending past Mars toward Jupiter.
5
China has ordered the formation of a planetary defence force to prepare for a possible doomsday scenario.
6
A potential Earth impact could release 8 megatons of TNT equivalent energy - 500 times stronger than the Hiroshima bomb.
7
If the asteroid hits the Moon, it could create a crater up to 2 kilometers in diameter, though this would be relatively small by lunar standards.
8
Scientists will use the James Webb Space Telescope in March and May 2025 to gather more data about the asteroid's size and trajectory.
9
While moon impact debris could potentially reach Earth, astronomers believe these fragments would burn up in the atmosphere without causing harm.