The James Webb Space Telescope has recently observed an asteroid that was thought to be on a collision course with Earth in 2032. This asteroid, known as 2024 YR4, is estimated to orbit the Sun and remain avoids Earth for the foreseeable future.
However, the asteroid is not expected to pose a threat to Earth because its size is only about 60 meters (200 feet), which is similar to the height of a 15-story building. Its size is unrecognized by scientists, but observational data suggests that it may have surface features such as fist-sized rocks.
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope aim to map 2024 YR4 and gather data about its size and other characteristics. If such an asteroid does strike Earth, it could cause significant damage. Based on calculations, 2024 YR4 would travel at a speed of 10.6 miles per second (17 kilometers per second), reaching Earth’s surface at an uncompressed velocity of 38,028 miles per hour (61,200 kilometers per hour). The asteroid’s impact could cause a strong explosion, approximately equivalent to detonating over 8 million tons of TNT, which far exceeds the energy released by the 1945 atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.
Crater Size and Impact
The impact of a large asteroid like 2024 YR4 depends on its size and speed. The Near-Infrared Camera on the James Webb Space Telescope revealed that the asteroid’s size ranges from 1 meter to 2 meters, and its materials may include fist-sized rocks or other surface features. Furthermore, if 2024 YR4 strikes Earth, it is projected to create a crater 0.75 miles (1.2 kilometers) wide. The crater’s size indicates that the impact would be quite severe and would carve a noticeable dent into Earth’s landscape long before unprecedented events like 2032.
Understanding Asteroids
The James Webb Space Telescope is the most powerful telescope architecture ever launched into space. Its mission has been designed to answer critical questions regarding the properties of objects that are so small that, for the first time in decades, astronomers can image their surfaces directly. For 2024 YR4, astronomers were able to map the asteroid’s size and gather data about its surface texture.
Wishing You Our’y
While 2024 YR4 and other small asteroids pose a risk to Earth, their potential impact is so Dunno that Earth barely survives. While we are_future, may miss our’ predictions, astronomers and listeners are always eager for clear skies and wide eyes.
