An asteroid the size of a football field is predicted to crash on Earth in the coming eight years. Scientists aren’t afraid but are assisting with the situation.
Asteroid 2024YR4
The asteroid named 2024YR4 was first spotted on December 27, 2024, by an observatory in Chile called El Sauce. It measures between 130 and 300 feet in size, which is comparable to the length of a football field, Others compare its height to the Statue of Liberty’s height.
Concerns regarding this asteroid have been expressed by the European Space Agency stating, “An asteroid this size impacts Earth on average every few thousand years and could cause severe damage to a local region,”
The statement explains the chances of 2024YR4 destroying an entire city within the next eight years, explaining its popular name, ‘City Killer.’ However, scientists have suggested that the situation is not defenseless.
The Odds
According to NASA’s latest calculations, the chances of the ‘city killer’ hitting the Earth have increased from 1.5% to 3.1% by December 22, 2032, marking the highest probability for a large asteroid in modern predictions.
Predictions indicate that if a city-killer asteroid were to enter the Earth’s atmosphere, it could produce an airburst. This event would cause the asteroid to explode mid-air with the force of megatons of TNT, affecting an area 500 times greater than that of the Hiroshima atomic bomb.
The impact could create a crater measuring between 1,640 to 6,500 feet. Regions that are predicted to be affected are Northern South America, South Asia, the Arabian Sea, the Pacific Ocean, Africa, and the Atlantic Ocean. The cities at risk include Mumbai, Kolkata, Khartoum, Abidjan, Dhaka, Bogotá, and Lagos.
What Scientists are up to?
International space agencies, including NASA, Roscosmos, the European Space Agency, and the China National Space Administration, are collaborating to monitor the trajectory of this massive asteroid.
The European Space Agency and NASA are currently tracking the path of this so-called “city killer,” estimating the chances of an impact at 2.8%. Richard Moissl, the Head of Planetary Defence at ESA, stated “This is not a crisis at this point in time. This is not the dinosaur killer. This is not the planet killer. This is, at most, dangerous for a city.”
Considerations for sending a rocket with explosives to change the trajectory of an asteroid or destroy it halfway are stirring up. A NASA project manager said regarding the considerations, “Destroying it would be easy, It wouldn’t even take that much explosives.
The trick is getting to it, and delivering the explosives precisely at the right time, at the right angle. That’s the hard part.”
Haripriya Mishra is a journalist deeply interested in world news and geopolitics. She likes to explore the complexities of global affairs and strives to bring clarity to these issues through thoughtful journalism. Through her writing, she intends to raise the right questions, fostering informed discussions about national and international matters. Haripriya aims to use journalism as a platform to connect with people, share diverse perspectives, and contribute to a deeper understanding of global issues. She is committed to producing content that is accurate, ethical, and impactful. She enjoys creative writing and reflecting on the nuances of media and storytelling.
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