Asteroid 2024 YR4: A Near Miss, But a Valuable Lesson

2025-06-11
Asteroid 2024 YR4: A Near Miss, But a Valuable Lesson

Asteroid 2024 YR4, once flagged as the highest-ever recorded impact risk to Earth, is back in the news – this time for a slightly increased chance of a lunar impact in 2032. Observed briefly by the James Webb Space Telescope in May, new data refined its trajectory, increasing the lunar impact probability from 3.8% to 4.3%. While a collision is unlikely to significantly alter the moon's orbit and any debris would burn up in Earth's atmosphere, the event served as a valuable real-world test of planetary defense strategies. Initial concerns of a higher Earth impact probability were later dismissed as further data ruled out any risk. The asteroid, roughly the size of a 10-story building, provided scientists with a rare opportunity to practice the entire planetary defense process, from detection and analysis to public communication.