NASA has issued a report on asteroid 2024 YR4, indicating it could pass alarmingly close to Earth within the next decade. Though the odds of a direct collision remain low at just 1.3%, astronomers are not taking any chances. The asteroid, measuring between 130 and 330 feet in diameter, was first detected on December 27, 2024, by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) at the University of Hawaii. NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) confirmed that the asteroid could potentially strike Earth on December 22, 2032, causing significant localized destruction if it were to impact a major city.
If the asteroid’s size holds to estimates, the effects of an impact could resemble the infamous Tunguska event of 1908, which flattened 1,250 square miles of Siberian forest after a similarly sized space object exploded in the atmosphere. The discovery of the 2024 YR4 has sparked a global effort to monitor and analyze the asteroid before it vanishes from sight in April 2025.
Kelly Fast, a planetary defense officer at NASA, explained that the 2024 YR4 has a unique and elongated orbit, which takes it on a journey around the sun and through the inner solar system. This orbit occasionally brings it near Earth but also sends it far out between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Despite having passed through the inner solar system on previous trips, the asteroid had not been detected earlier because its trajectory never aligned with Earth’s position to make it easily visible. “In past orbits, it didn’t pass by Earth at the right time for astronomers to detect it,” Fast noted.
This time, however, the asteroid’s proximity has allowed telescopes to track its movements. Astronomers worldwide are now racing to gather as much data as possible before the asteroid moves out of range. The asteroid is expected to disappear from view after April and won’t be visible again until 2028. Scientists hope that further observations will confirm that 2024 YR4 will avoid Earth when it comes close again in late 2032.
NASA’s efforts are part of an international initiative to track and analyze near-Earth objects (NEOs) that could pose potential threats. Fast emphasized that it takes time to gather accurate data on an object as it moves across the sky. “Observations can’t all happen in a single day. The asteroid is constantly changing position, and ongoing tracking is critical,” she explained.
While Congress has tasked NASA with identifying asteroids larger than 450 feet—those capable of causing regional-scale destruction—smaller asteroids like 2024 YR4 still pose risks to localized areas if they impact. Small space rocks often burn up upon entering Earth’s atmosphere, creating bright fireballs without causing damage. However, objects larger than 100 feet can survive atmospheric entry and strike the surface with destructive force.
As scientists continue monitoring 2024 YR4, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) has also reported several other asteroids making close approaches to Earth this week. These include asteroid 2025 BR2, an airplane-sized rock about 67 feet long that will pass within 3.21 million miles of Earth, and asteroid 2015 DJ155, which is 170 feet in diameter and will come within 4.42 million miles of Earth. Additionally, two smaller asteroids—2025 BG4 and 2025 BR7, measuring 75 and 100 feet respectively—will pass within approximately 3 million miles on the same day. Finally, asteroid 2025 BU, around 54 feet long and roughly the size of a house, will make its closest approach on Sunday at 2.1 million miles from Earth.
While these distances may sound alarming, Fast reassured the public that they are still far by astronomical standards. “Space is big,” she said. “Even though these asteroids are passing relatively close to Earth, we’re still talking about millions of miles. The moon, for example, is just 240,000 miles from Earth.”
The discovery and tracking of asteroids like 2024 YR4 are crucial components of NASA’s planetary defense strategy. The agency has been developing technologies to deflect or mitigate the impact of potentially hazardous asteroids. In 2022, NASA successfully tested the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), which altered the orbit of a small asteroid by crashing a spacecraft into it. Such methods could become key tools for protecting Earth from future threats.
Although the likelihood of an impact from 2024 YR4 is low, the asteroid’s discovery serves as a reminder of the unpredictable nature of the cosmos. Astronomers worldwide remain on high alert, tracking the movements of near-Earth objects and refining their models to better understand potential risks. “The more we learn about asteroids like 2024 YR4, the better prepared we’ll be to respond to any threats,” Fast emphasized.
For now, there is no immediate danger, but the scientific community will continue its observations and provide updates as new information becomes available. The next time you gaze up at the stars, you might just be wondering whether 2024 YR4 is quietly passing by in the vastness of space—destined to miss Earth, we hope, for many millennia to come.
