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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Science
Oliver Holmes

Giant asteroid could crash into moon in 2032, firing debris towards Earth

A spacecraft approaches an asteroid in space
An illustration of the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (Dart) conducted by Nasa on the Dimorphos asteroid in 2022. Photograph: MediaPunch Inc/Alamy

If a giant asteroid smashes into the moon in 2032 it could send lunar debris hurtling towards Earth, researchers have said, posing a risk to satellites but also creating a rare and spectacularly vivid meteor shower visible in the skies.

Asteroid 2024 YR4 triggered a planetary defence response earlier this year after telescope observations revealed the “city killer” had a 3% chance of colliding with Earth.

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