According to NASA, the chances of a 10-storey building hitting the moon’s asteroid in 2032 have increased slightly, according to NASA. On June 5, the agency Announce That asteroid now has 4.3% chance of lunar impact in 2024 –From 3.8%.
Earlier this year, this infamous space rock caused Initial data suggests it may collide with the Earth About eight years. But as scientists gather more data, it’s obvious This asteroid is not a threat to our planet. But there is still a chance May hit the moon in 2024. New observations from the James Webb space telescope allow scientists to perfect the orbit of asteroids, resulting in an increased chance of the moon’s impact.
“With the emergence of data, it is normal to affect the probability development.”
When Chile’s asteroid land impacted the last alarm system (Atlas) first discovered in 2024 in December 2024, NASA marked it almost immediately as a potentially dangerous object. Initial calculations suggest that the asteroid had about 1% chance of hitting Earth on December 22, 2032. In the following weeks, those odds climbed to nearly 3%, before eventually dropping it to zero in late February.
It was discovered at the time that the age of 2024 was about 515,116 miles (829,000 kilometers) from the Earth. Since then, it has moved away. By mid-April, the asteroid was too far away to be observed through ground telescopes. It could not take another approach to Earth until June 2028, but Weber’s infrared function allowed scientists to observe space rocks for about a month after drifting within the terrestrial technology.
Researchers led by Andy Rivkin, a planetary astronomer at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, have been using Weber’s near-infrared camera to observe 2024 and assess its damage potential, even if it stays away from view. In May, they captured the last observation of the space rock, and then it disappeared behind the sun. According to NASA, this additional data improves their predictions about where asteroids will be on December 22, 2032.
The chance of colliding with the moon in 2024 is still (relatively) low. NASA notes that even if it does fall to the moon’s surface, the impact will not change the moon’s orbit. Weber’s observations also helped researchers Refining The measurement of the size of the asteroid found that it is about 174 to 220 feet (53 to 67 meters) wide, which is relatively small for the asteroid. A direct blow may only lead to new craters.
But that doesn’t mean that the incident is not important. The moon’s impact is expected to provide scientists with a rare opportunity to observe the crater in real time, assuming it hits the moon’s side facing the Earth. While 2024 no longer poses any risk to our planet, it is discovered that it enables scientists to practice planetary defense strategies, which may one day prove to be life-saving.
According to a June 5 statement, NASA has already made plans for asteroids to swing one Earth by one in 2028. More observations from the ground telescope and Weber could help scientists gather more information about the shape and composition of asteroids, which are important factors in their behavior and potential impact effects. Before that, we just need to wish this troubled space traveler goodbye.
