Preventing Asteroid 2024 YR4 from Impacting Earth Through the Use of Nuclear Arms
Asteroid 2024 YR4, approximately the size of a football pitch, is currently about 27 million miles away from Earth. While the potential impact of this asteroid cannot be underestimated, as it poses a genuine danger to our planet's safety, the risk of an Earth impact by 2032 has been effectively ruled out [1][2].
Instead, there is a 4% chance that 2024 YR4 could collide with the Moon, creating a crater over half a mile wide and unleashing energy equivalent to millions of tons of TNT. Such an impact would likely be the largest on the Moon in about 5,000 years [1][2][3].
This lunar impact risk has prompted increased observation efforts, but no Earth-directed deflection strategies or missions are currently planned for 2024 YR4. The international planetary defense community, including NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO), ESA, UN entities, and allied observatories, has successfully coordinated the detection, tracking, and risk assessment of 2024 YR4 [4].
New observations expected after 2028 will further refine the asteroid’s trajectory and lunar impact predictions, but no mitigation missions are planned specifically for this asteroid at this time [3][4].
Dr. David Whitehouse, an astronomer, has warned of a potential asteroid threat to Earth in 2032. He has emphasized the gravity of the situation, comparing the odds of this asteroid strike to winning the lottery in reverse. Dr. Whitehouse has suggested that potential deflection strategies might be necessary by 2028, involving intercepting the asteroid in 2028 and adjusting its trajectory [1][2].
The European Space Agency (ESA) is closely monitoring 2024 YR4. The Space Mission Planning Advisory Group, chaired by the ESA, will discuss the asteroid's latest findings and assess the impact risk in an upcoming meeting in Vienna [1].
Dr. Whitehouse's warnings echo a sentiment shared by many in the astronomical community - the need for vigilance and proactive measures to protect Earth from potential catastrophic events. Urgent decisions must be made to safeguard Earth from the impending cosmic threat posed by asteroid 2024 YR4.
[1] https://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/asteroid/2024YR4.html [2] https://www.esa.int/Science/SpaceAwareness/Asteroids_and_comets [3] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-022-01725-6 [4] https://www.nasa.gov/planetarydefense/overview
Note: This article aims to provide factual information about asteroid 2024 YR4 and its potential impact. It does not speculate or offer opinions on the likelihood of the asteroid striking Earth or the Moon.
- Despite the dismissed risk of an Earth impact by asteroid 2024 YR4, there is currently a 4% chance of it colliding with the Moon, a possibility that has prompted increased observation efforts in both the astronomical and space-and-astronomy communities.
- While news of a potential asteroid strike in 2032 by another asteroid has raised concerns, asteroid 2024 YR4, which poses a 4% lunar impact risk, has been the primary focus of attention for numerous organizations, including NASA, ESA, and the Space Mission Planning Advisory Group, as they work together to refine its trajectory and assess its impact risk.
