Asteroid 2024 YR4 threatens over 100million people as NASA reveals impact zone and risk corridor of 'city killer'

Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info NASA has recently upped the ante on a hefty "city-killer" asteroid's chances of hitting Earth in 2032.

The space rock, named Asteroid 2024 YR4, saw its collision probabilities for the year 2032 adjusted, making them "higher than ever". The estimated flight path of an asteroid, comparable to the height of Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben) at 130ft and 295ft in diameter, will see it pass over some of the world’s most populous cities, according to the latest data from NASA . The chances of Asteroid 2024 YR4 hitting Earth on December 22, 2032, have risen from 2.



6 per cent to 3.1 per cent, making it the highest chance of hitting our planet of any asteroid in history. Scientists have calculated that the impact risk corridor of the space rock stretches eastwards from the Pacific Ocean, over South America, the Atlantic Ocean, Africa, the Middle East and into Asia, reports the Independent .

This trajectory takes it over eight of the top 100 most populated cities in the world: Bogotá, Abidjan, Lagos, Khartoum, Mumbai, Kolkata and Dhaka. The urban area of these cities alone have a combined population of more than 110 million. At its current estimated size, space experts warn the asteroid could unleash an explosion equivalent to 15 megatons of TNT if it struck Earth.

Such a blast would be 100 times more powerful than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima during World War II , which killed around 140,000 people, according to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons. The impact zone would have a radius of around 50 kilometres (30 miles), though Nasa and other space agencies are hopeful that the asteroid does not pose a serious threat to Earth. The European Space Agency has placed Asteroid 2024 YR4 at the top of its " asteroid risk list", with the highest-ever collision probability.

A spokesperson from the agency explained: "Astronomers around the world are using powerful telescopes to measure the asteroid's orbit as accurately as possible. But knowing its orbit will only tell us the asteroid could impact Earth, not how significant an impact could be. "It is very important that we improve our size estimate for 2024 YR4: the hazard represented by a 40m asteroid is very different from that of a 90m asteroid.

" NASA has been regularly providing updates on Asteroid 2024 YR4, and plans to continue analysing its size and trajectory using the James Webb Telescope . The pioneering device is the most potent telescope ever constructed. Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.

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