Scientists Reveal Images of Potentially City-Destroying Asteroid and Pinpoint Possible Impact Zones

Scientists have released images of an asteroid with the potential to destroy entire cities, along with new predictions on where it could potentially strike Earth.

The asteroid, named 2024 YR4, was discovered last December by an automated telescope in Chile. Since its discovery, it has climbed to the top of the risk lists maintained by both NASA and the European Space Agency.

Researchers estimate that 2024 YR4 could collide with Earth on December 22, 2032. While the probability of impact is currently low—about 1 in 48—experts are taking the threat seriously.

The asteroid is believed to be comparable in size to the Statue of Liberty or Cinderella’s Castle at Walt Disney World in Florida. According to geologist and science communicator Dr. Robin George Andrews, even attempts to deflect the asteroid with rockets could potentially backfire and lead to catastrophic consequences.

Earlier this year, scientists captured detailed images of the asteroid using the 8.1-meter Gemini South telescope, located on Cerro Pachón in the Chilean Andes. The images, taken on February 7, show the asteroid when it was about 130 million miles from the sun and 37 million miles from Earth.

Bryce Bolin, an astronomer at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center who helped capture the images, expressed his excitement:

“I think 2024 YR4 is really exciting—not just because of its potential impact, but due to the rare opportunity to study such a small asteroid up close.”

To get the image, the team took twelve 200-second exposures in the red spectrum and carefully tracked the asteroid’s movement. Bolin explained the challenges they faced during the observation:

1. The asteroid was very faint and required a large telescope to be seen.

2. The observation coincided with a 70% illuminated moon, which created a bright background and made it harder to detect the asteroid.

3. The asteroid was moving rapidly at a rate of 0.26 arcseconds per minute, requiring precise tracking.

NASA had previously shared an image of 2024 YR4 on December 27, 2024, shortly after its discovery. The asteroid is expected to remain visible through April 2025, during which time it will continue to be monitored by the International Asteroid Warning Network.

However, after April, it will become too faint to observe again until June 2028.