NASA tracks asteroid with slim chance of hitting Moon
NASA is tracking a newly found asteroid, 2024 YR4, about as tall as a 15-story building.
While early worries about it hitting Earth were dismissed, there's now a slight chance (nearly a 4%) it could hit the Moon on December 22, 2032.
No threat to Earth
NASA says even if 2024 YR4 strikes the Moon, any debris would safely burn up in our atmosphere.
Scientists have run detailed checks to be sure there's no threat to us.
Rare chance to study impact
If this asteroid does hit the Moon, it would give scientists a rare chance to watch how craters form and study flying debris—something that doesn't happen often and could teach us more about how planets evolve.
Asteroid's path and future passes
The asteroid will swing close by Earth in 2028—still millions of kilometers away—giving NASA another shot to measure its path and update predictions.
It'll make several passes through our neighborhood in the 2030s, so scientists will keep watching just in case anything changes.