Astronomers have found a massive asteroid with a high likelihood of colliding with Earth.

The asteroid 2024 YR4 was discovered on December 25, 2024, and is currently about 40 million km away from us. However, in 7 years, there is a significant chance that this rock could collide with Earth, according to Space.

Astronomers have determined that asteroid 2024 YR4 will come very close by cosmic standards, approximately 106,000 km from Earth on December 22, 2032. However, considering the uncertainty of its orbit, this close approach could result in a direct hit on our planet. Such a collision could cause an explosion in the atmosphere or create an impact crater if the asteroid strikes the ground.

Scientists from NASA and the European Space Agency have assigned the asteroid a high risk of collision. On the Torino scale, which indicates the level of danger posed by space objects colliding with Earth, asteroid 2024 YR4 has received a rating of 3 on a scale from 0 to 10. Currently, the chance of the asteroid colliding with our planet stands at 1 in 83, making it one of the highest probabilities of an asteroid collision with Earth in the history of monitoring space rocks.

At the same time, astronomers believe it is too early to worry, as further observations of the asteroid's behavior are needed, since it may still fly past Earth in 2032. If the 60-meter asteroid does enter Earth's atmosphere, it could happen over South America, the Atlantic Ocean, or Africa. Future observations may accurately reveal how unstable the asteroid's orbit is and whether it will collide with Earth.

The best opportunity for astronomers to study asteroid 2024 YR4 will be in 2028 when it passes by Earth at a distance of 8 million km. At that time, it will be possible to more accurately assess the size of the asteroid, as the 60 meters is an approximate estimate, and it could be as wide as 100 meters.

Even if this asteroid were to hit Earth rather than explode in the atmosphere, which cannot be ruled out, it would leave a massive crater at the impact site, and the destruction would likely be localized. In other words, the end of the world is certainly not imminent.

According to scientists, if asteroid 2024 YT4 is made of rocky material, it could cause a significant explosion in the air and a fireball reaching the ground. However, if it is composed of iron, it would easily create an impact crater. Therefore, scientists need to understand not only its orbit but also its composition.

Astronomer Tony Dunn shared a simulation of the approach of asteroid 2024 YT4 to Earth on the social network X.