NASA issues disturbing update on ‘city destr.ying’

NASA has shared a new update on asteroid ‘2024 YR4’, which could potentially collide with the Moon on December 22, 2032. The asteroid, roughly the size of the Statue of Liberty, has raised concerns due to its destructive potential. While early estimates placed the chance of a lunar impact at 1.2%, that probability has now increased to 4.3%. However, experts stress that Earth would remain mostly unaffected even if a Moon impact occurs. Some material might be ejected toward Earth, but scientists believe it would pose no real danger.

David Rankin of the Catalina Sky Survey and Gareth Collins from Imperial College London both downplayed the risks to Earth. NASA’s Molly Wasser emphasized that changing data is expected as more observations are made. Meanwhile, Richard Moissl of the European Space Agency noted the scientific value of a Moon impact. Still, there’s a 95% chance the asteroid will miss the Moon altogether. Astrophysicist Dr. Robin George Andrews warned that attempts to deflect the asteroid, such as through NASA’s DART mission, could backfire if not executed precisely—potentially turning a large object into many dangerous fragments. The asteroid won’t be observable again until its next close pass in 2028.