NASA makes emergency decision over 'city-killer' asteroid heading for Earth
NASA has declared an emergency response to monitor asteroid 2024 YR4, which has a 1-in-43 chance of impacting Earth on December 22, 2032.
Discovered in December 2024, this asteroid measures approximately 180 feet (55 meters) in diameter—comparable to the height of the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
An impact from 2024 YR4 could release energy equivalent to 8 megatons of TNT, over 500 times the force of the Hiroshima atomic bomb, potentially devastating a major city.
To refine size and trajectory estimates, NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) have scheduled observations using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) in March and May 2025.
The JWST's advanced infrared capabilities will provide precise measurements, crucial for assessing the threat level and informing potential deflection strategies
Various mitigation options are under consideration, including deploying lasers, nuclear devices, gravity tractors, kinetic impactors, or the MADMEN swarm to alter the asteroid's course.
The international community is taking preventive measures to safeguard the planet from this possible "city-killer."