The Odds of That ‘City-Killer’ Asteroid Hitting Earth Keep Getting Worse

I’m going to start this off by saying that the chances of the asteroid hitting the Earth in 2032 are still quite small. But still, according to new calculations, the chances of hitting the earth are getting bigger are getting worse. For us. I’m sure the asteroid doesn’t give a shit.

The asteroid in question, named 2024 YR4, is roughly the size of a soccer field. If it were to smash into the earth it would not cause an extinction-level event but it could devastate a major city.

Yes, there are ideas out there on how to change its trajectory should it fully lock in on Earth. We could slam a satellite into it as NASA once did with an asteroid just a few years ago. We could nuke the shit out of it like one astronomer suggested. So there are plans currently being discussed by space agencies all over the world.

What we’ll ultimately do depends on what the asteroid does. For now, though, doing nothing seems like the most likely possibility even though the asteroid now has a 3.1% chance of hitting the Earth, which is up from the previously reported 2.3% chance of hitting the Earth on December 22, 2032.

The extremely powerful James Webb space telescope, which has been used to show us visions of deep space previously unimagined, is being used by the global astronomical community to keep a close eye on 2024 YR4’s movements.

2024 YR4 is categorized as a “city killer,” meaning it could cause significant destruction to its immediate surroundings. They would be especially dangerous thanks to its incredible speed, currently clocking in at around 40,000 mph. Should it impact the Earth’s surface, it would be as powerful as 8 megatons of TNT, which is 500 times more powerful than the bomb that destroyed Hiroshima.

There’s still plenty of time for the asteroid to change direction. And if it doesn’t, well NASA’s aforementioned 2022 DART mission, where NASA’s best and brightest slapped the fuck out of an asteroid with a satellite.

They knocked that silly space rock off course just to prove that we could. And that is an option on the table that might actually save lives. We’re not in crisis mode yet, and likely won’t be for a while, if ever.

But if we ever do enter crisis mode, just know there are proven tactics ready to be deployed in the form of cosmic flyswatters.

Source : https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-odds-of-that-city-killer-asteroid-hitting-earth-keep-getting-worse/

Comprehension

What is the name of the asteroid mentioned in the article?
What is the estimated size of the asteroid?
How has the asteroid’s chance of hitting Earth changed recently?
Why is 2024 YR4 categorized as a “city killer”?
What speed is the asteroid currently traveling at?
What was the purpose of NASA’s 2022 DART mission?
What are some of the proposed methods to prevent the asteroid from hitting Earth?
Why is the James Webb Space Telescope being used in relation to this asteroid?

Discussion

If an asteroid were on a direct collision course with Earth, what should world governments do?
Do you think it’s possible to prevent an asteroid impact? Why or why not?
The text mentions using nuclear weapons to stop an asteroid—do you think this is a good idea? What could go wrong?
The DART mission successfully changed an asteroid’s course—what does this tell us about humanity’s ability to deal with space threats?
How do you feel about the way media presents potential global threats like asteroid impacts? Does it create unnecessary fear, or is it important to stay informed?
If an asteroid were about to hit Earth, what do you think people’s reactions would be? How would society change?
What do you think is the likelihood that a major asteroid will hit Earth in our lifetime?

Vocabulary

Trajectory – The path that an object follows through space.
Extinction-level event – A catastrophe that causes mass extinction.
Devastate – To cause severe destruction or damage.
Impact – The act of one object hitting another.
Megaton – A unit of explosive power equivalent to one million tons of TNT.
Collision – When two objects crash into each other.
Astronomical – Related to astronomy or extremely large in size.
Deploy – To put into action or use.