Nasa planning to destroy city-killer asteroid, 2024 YR4? Know more

The latest Nasa study revealed that the city killer asteroid, 2024 YR4, has 1.5 per cent chance of hitting the earth. Space agencies across the world unite to track and deflect YR4

Nasa's latest calculation revealed that the asteroid, named 2024 YR4, has 1.5 per cent chance to hit Earth, which had earlier been predicted to be 3.1 per cent. 

 

The risk is reduced but its impact could be serious enough that will require close monitoring. Reportedly, the asteroid's size is of a large office building.

 

The asteroid is smaller in size with the possibility of wiping out entire cities and too small to cause global catastrophe. 

 

Initially, the asteroid had a 2.6 per cent chance of colliding with the planet, which was 1 per cent at the end of January. Despite the increase in possibility, experts say there is no cause for concern despite the odds.

 

 

Bruce Betts, chief scientist for the nonprofit Planetary Society, while talking to AFP said, "I'm not panicking. Naturally, when you see the percentages go up, it doesn't make you feel warm and fuzzy and good."

 

He also mentioned that the possibility might further increase as astronomers further study the asteroid before this number dropped to Zero.

 

According to The Independent report, if the 2024 YR4 enters the Earth's atmosphere, it could cause an airburst. It means the asteroid can burst mid-air with a force of nearly eight megatons of TNT. It could be 500 times more than the Hiroshima atomic bomb, leaving a crater measuring between 1640 to 6500 feet on impact.

Destroying it would be easy: Nasa’s project manager

Nasa along with its counterparts are considering sending rockets with explosives to deflect the asteroid route or even completely destroy it to eliminate its risk of impact. 

 

Nasa project manager at Kennedy Space Center said that destroying it could be easier. “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,” he added.

 

The asteroid's composition is still not known which complicates Nasa's plan for intervention. Some asteroids are porus and disintegrate easily which we observed in the 2013 Chelyabinsk explosion over Russia. However, others are denser and need more force to break apart. Nasa has not shared any details about whether nuclear warheads or other methods would be used if intervention becomes necessary.

Space agencies unite to track and deflect YR4

Many International space agencies, including NASA, the China National Space Administration (CNSA), Roscosmos, and the European Space Agency (ESA), are jointly working to track the path of the asteroid. Astronomers from the International Asteroid Warning Network are also working on this project, enlisted to map its trajectory and evaluate potential risks. 

 

Nasa's on Tuesday reported that the probability of the asteroid hitting Earth increased to 3.1 per cent or equivalent to 1 in 32. However, further observation on Wednesday slightly reduced the risk.

 

The 2024 YR4 is currently moving away from the Earth and it might disappear from the radar in April. With the limited time to study, scientists are monitoring the asteroid's movement and studying as it will not reappear until 2028.

 

The NASA source said, “We’ll be able to track it until April, and then it’ll be too far away. But we can learn a lot in the next month or so, and figure out what to do from there.”

2024 YR4 discovered last year

The 2024 YR4 was first detected by El Sauce Observatory in Chile in December last year. With Nasa's latest calculations, the potential impact of the asteroid could hit the Earth by December 22, 2032.

 

"It's a very, very rare event. 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," Betts said.

 

The asteroid is expected to be anywhere between 40-90 metres in size. This estimation is based on its brightness. However, the size could vary depending on further studies. 

 

In 2024, Apophis was discovered which was 30 metres in size, it had a 2.7 per cent chance of hitting Earth in 2029, but its possibility was ruled out when additional observations were done.