An asteroid that had a very small chance of hitting Earth is no longer a potential threat, according to scientists. The 2024 YR4 asteroid climbed to the top of the risk list earlier this month when the chance of a collision in 2032 tripled from 1.2% to about 3% (about one in 33).
It first set off warning systems in December after being spotted through telescopes in Chile, travelling around 38,000mph. Professor Brian Cox had even talked of a possible "deflection mission" if the risk did not drop. But anyone faintly worried about a potential Armageddon scenario can now rest easy - the European Space Agency has slashed the chance of impact on Earth to 0.001%, and NASA to 0.0017%.
The US space agency said it poses "no significant impact risk to Earth in 2032 and beyond". Paul Chodas, head of NASA's near-Earth objects studies, said the odds wouldn't rise again and an impact had been ruled out. "That's the outcome we expected all along, although we couldn't be 100% sure that it would happen," he said.
Follow our channel and never miss an update. Telescopes will continue to track the asteroid as it moves away, with the Webb Space Telescope hoping to pinpoint its size. Estimates had put it between 40-90 metres wide (130-300ft). "While this asteroid no longer poses a significant impact hazard to Earth, 2024 YR4 provided an invaluable opportunity" for study, NASA added.
