Countdown Begins: Asteroid 2024 YR4's Potential Impact on Earth

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The international scientific community is in a race against time to gather observations of asteroid 2024 YR4, which currently holds more than a 2% chance of colliding with Earth on December 22, 2032. As the asteroid is moving farther away from our planet while orbiting the Sun, its visibility through telescopes is diminishing. Experts estimate that detection will soon be limited to larger observatories, such as the eight-meter Very Large Telescope in Chile and the ten-meter Gran Telescopio de Canarias.

According to Juan Luis Cano, coordinator of the European Space Agency’s Planetary Defense Office, the probability of impact could rise within days but has a nearly 98% chance of being ruled out. So far, over 340 observations from telescopes worldwide have been recorded, enhancing predictions about 2024 YR4's trajectory.

If the asteroid's impact is confirmed, strategies for deflection face significant challenges. Various methods are being considered, including launching an impact probe. The United Nations' planetary defense bodies have been activated to monitor the situation, though specific recommendations for action remain premature, the Space Mission Advisory Group stated.

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