Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Science
Observer editorial

The Observer view: when an asteroid is hurtling to Earth, do you head for the pub or the church?

Space image with many small bright spots and two much bigger ones.
An image made available by University of Hawaii's asteroid impact alert system shows the motion of asteroid 2024 YR4 over about one hour, on 27 December 2024. Photograph: AP

Following the possible trajectory of 2024 YR4 – AKA the scariest asteroid ever detected – is not for the nervous of disposition. Is it going to hit us, or not? Every day, a different answer.

Last Tuesday, Nasa calculated it had a 3.1% chance of hitting Earth in 2032, and so some people set to worrying. Twenty-four hours later, however, the agency provided an update. New observations, made since the passing of the full moon, show it now has a 1.5% chance of impact. Time to exhale? Not necessarily.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.