CV will pass Earth at a distance of 4,760,000 km, over five times the Earth-Moon distance. Three other asteroids passed by the Earth on February 10.

Space agencies have been granted permission to use a giant telescope to assess the potential impact of a "city-killer" asteroid. This rare opportunity comes as astronomers warn that Asteroid 2024 YR4, recently discovered, has a 2.3 percent chance, about one in 43, of colliding with Earth.

The chances that a space rock could hit Earth in less than a decade just went up slightly, according to NASA scientists. The asteroid 2024 YR4, which is expected to pass Earth in 2032, was recently calculated to have a 1-out-of-43 chance of striking our planet. By contrast, last week 2024 YR4 had only a 1-out-of-83 chance of striking our planet.

The internet is currently swimming with talk about an asteroid that could hit Earth in 2032. "Could" is a stretch, however, as scientists currently estimate those chances are 2.3%, according to Space.com. So, why is everyone up in arms about something that has a 97% chance of missing us?

ESA is closely monitoring the recently discovered asteroid #2024YR4. The asteroid has an almost 99% chance of safely passing Earth in 2032, but a possible impact cannot yet be entirely ruled out. 2024 YR4 is estimated to be between 40 m and 100 m wide. https://t.co/Ab8G1WH2Wp — ESA Operations (@esaoperations) January 29, 2025

A dive into probabilities, asteroid impact modeling, and what sort of damage an approximately 180-foot asteroid could cause on Earth.

Astronomers have been given access to the James Webb Space Telescope to assess the threat posed by asteroid 2024 YR4, which has a one-in-43 chance of hitting Earth in 2032

This dangerous asteroid will be the target of observations by the James Webb Space Telescope. Astronomers will use the powerful telescope to gain insights into the asteroid’s si