The "city-killer" asteroid may crash into our neighbor: scientists have updated the forecast for 2032

According to NASA, the asteroid 2024 YR4, called the "city-killer," has a 2.3% chance of colliding with Earth in 2032. But according to new estimates, it could also hit the Moon.

However, the probability of a dangerous space rock colliding with our planet's satellite is only 0.3%. However, these calculations are not yet final, as the asteroid's path is extremely variable, Space.com reports.

The potentially dangerous 2024 YR4 space rock is approximately 55 meters in diameter and travels at a speed of nearly 48,000 km/h. NASA scientists have increased the probability of an asteroid colliding with the Earth on December 22, 2032, from 1.2% to 2.3%.

Scientists reassured that this boulder will not be able to destroy the planet, but it can level a large city. After all, during a possible collision, the asteroid could release about 8 megatons of energy, which is 500 times more than the energy released by the atomic bomb that destroyed Hiroshima in Japan.

However, scientists wondered what would happen if this rock from space hit the Moon. David Rankin, an operations engineer at the University of Arizona's Catalina Sky Survey, said the probability of an asteroid colliding with our natural satellite is 0.3%.

If a collision with the Moon occurs, the earthlings will not be seriously affected, the researchers assure.

"There is a possibility that it will eject some material that could hit the Earth. But I doubt very much that it will cause any serious threat," Rankin said.

"And this 'boom' would be visible from the Earth. Indeed, based on current estimates by scientists, a collision with the Moon could release more energy than 340 Hiroshima bombs. "It would probably be clearly visible from Earth," David added.

Gareth Collins, a professor of planetary science at Imperial College London, emphasized that during a possible collision of asteroid 2024 YR4 with the Moon, "we would be safe on Earth." He added that any material ejected as a result of the collision would likely burn up in the Earth's atmosphere.

According to astronomers, the Moon has been bombarded by countless asteroids throughout its history, as evidenced by its numerous craters on the surface. If the Earth's satellite were to be hit in 2024 YR4, it would leave a crater up to 2 kilometers in diameter, experts predict. This is a mere pothole compared to the largest crater on the Moon, the South Pole-Aitken basin, which covers more than 2,400 kilometers in diameter.

However, the probability that the "city-killer" will collide with the Earth or the Moon is very low. An international team of scientists has received permission to use the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) in an emergency to learn more about the size and trajectory of the space rock.

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