The European Space Agency is monitoring an asteroid with a slim chance to strike Earth in 2032.
Asteroid 2024 YR4 was found on Dec. 27 by a telescope in Chile but has since caught the attention of astronomers in the United States as well as Europe.
“Since early January, astronomers have been carrying out priority follow-up observations using telescopes around the world and using the new data to improve our understanding of the asteroid size and trajectory,” ESA said in a statement.
Based on current estimates, there is a 1.3% chance the asteroid — measuring about 328 feet wide — could strike Earth on Dec. 22, 2032.
“An asteroid this size impacts Earth on average every few thousand years and could cause severe damage to a local region.”
Currently, the asteroid is flying away from Earth and scientists will follow it until it disappears. It is expected to show up on telescopes in 2028, where they should be able to get a more accurate prediction on if it could hit Earth and when.
“Most likely this one will pass by harmlessly,”Colin Snodgrass, a planetary astronomer at the University of Edinburgh, told The Guardian. “It just deserves a little more attention with telescopes until we can confirm that. The longer we follow its orbit, the more accurate our future predictions of its trajectory become.”
Sourse: www.upi.com
