Asteroid 2024 YR4: NASA Rules Out No Earth Impact Threat for 2032

Asteroid 2024 YR4, a 170-foot-wide space rock, made a close approach to Earth in May 2025; tracked by NASA, it posed no threat but highlighted the importance of planetary defense efforts.

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Context: According to a NASA announcement on April 2, asteroid YR4 has a 3.8% chance of colliding with the moon on December 22, 2032.

Asteroid 2024 YR4

Discovery: Detected in December 2024 by the ATLAS telescope in Chile.
Type: A Near-Earth Object (NEO) and Apollo-class asteroid — meaning it crosses Earth’s orbit.
Size: Estimated at ~65 meters wide — about the height of a 10-storey building.

About Asteroid 2024 YR4

Asteroid 2024 YR4 is a near-Earth asteroid (NEA) that was brought to prominence by an initially small calculated probability of colliding with Earth in December 2032. Subsequent observations have eliminated any serious impact threat to Earth in 2032 and later.

Key Details About Asteroid 2024 YR4

Aspect	Details
Discovery	It was initially found in December 2024 by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope in Chile.
Size	NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope took infrared images in March 2025, estimating its diameter to be around 53-67 meters (174-220 feet), roughly the size of a 15-story building. Previous estimates using visible light were less accurate (40-90 meters).
Shape	2024 YR4 has been confirmed by astronomers as having an uncharacteristically disk-shaped, flatted appearance akin to a hockey puck, unexpected since asteroids have usually been in the shape of potatoes or topped.
Composition	Spectroscopic data indicate that chances are high that it’s an S-type asteroid, with rich silicates.
Rotation	It orbits fairly quickly, at approximately every 19.5 minutes.
Orbit	2024 YR4 is characterised as an Apollo-type NEA, as the elliptical track crosses Earth’s orbit.

How Often Do Asteroids Crash into Earth?

Small Asteroids

Thousands enter Earth’s atmosphere daily.
Most burn up due to friction, sometimes appearing as fireballs.

Larger Asteroids

Those over 1 km in diameter strike Earth approximately every 260 million years.
The Solar System’s vastness makes direct asteroid impacts rare.
Small asteroids (~40m) could devastate an entire city, depending on entry speed and angle.