Asteroid 2024 YR4 Triggers Global Alert for Potential Earth Impact in 2032

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A 100-meter-wide asteroid, designated 2024 YR4, has prompted the activation of global planetary defense protocols after being identified as having a 1.3% chance of colliding with Earth on December 22, 2032. Discovered by an automated telescope in Chile on December 27, 2024, it has since ascended to the top of impact risk lists maintained by U.S. and European space agencies, according to reports from The Guardian.

Astrophysicists have classified the asteroid with a Torino Impact Hazard Scale rating of three, suggesting a close encounter that warrants monitoring due to the potential for localized destruction upon impact. Experts, including Colin Snodgrass from the University of Edinburgh, believe that while a collision is unlikely, further observations are essential to refine predictions about the asteroid's trajectory.

In response to the threat, the International Asteroid Warning Network and the Space Mission Planning Advisory Group have been mobilized for further tracking and assessment of mitigation strategies, such as asteroid deflection techniques, should they become necessary. The asteroid's orbit remains difficult to analyze precisely, with astronomers planning additional observations in the coming months.

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