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.
Before you panic, however, note that 2024 YR4 only measures at a three on the Torino Scale. According to this scale, established by astronomers to help them assess the dangers posed by various near Earth objects, rocks that rank at a three merit concern for astronomers but not the general public. The risk level for this particular space rock has been updated to account for new calculations, but there is still a 97.7% chance that 2024 YR4 misses Earth entirely.
