We now know the shape of notorious asteroid 2024 YR4 that dominated headlines recently — it's probably 'suburban,' too

A visualization of the Earth toward the right, the moon in the center and the asteroid in the foreground toward the left.

The asteroid 2024 YR4 — the one that caused a stir earlier this year due to its potential collision course with Earth — has a surprising tale to tell. A new study reports that this space rock likely hails from the central region of the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter — a cosmic "suburb" scientists don't typically associate with asteroids that cross paths with our planet.