CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The Webb Space Telescope has recently provided fascinating images of an asteroid known as 2024 YR4, which previously raised concerns about a potential impact with Earth. Discovered late last year, this asteroid was once thought to have a 3% chance of colliding with our planet in 2032. However, follow-up observations have significantly lowered that risk to nearly zero, though there remains a slight chance it could hit the moon.
NASA and the European Space Agency shared images of 2024 YR4, which appears as a fuzzy dot in the telescope’s photos. As confirmed by both agencies, the asteroid measures about 200 feet across, roughly equivalent to the height of a 15-story building. This observation marks the smallest object that the powerful Webb Telescope has ever studied.
Astrophysicist Andrew Rivkin from Johns Hopkins University noted that the Webb’s observations are invaluable for understanding similar asteroids that could pose a threat in the future. Over the last few months, ground-based telescopes have also been tracking this particular space rock.
Rivkin emphasized the importance of these observations, stating that they help scientists learn about other objects similar in size to 2024 YR4, including any future threats that may come our way. The asteroid swings past Earth every four years, providing a unique opportunity for study and monitoring.
