Could this prevent a looming catastrophe?

NASA is directing its most advanced telescope to observe a potentially dangerous “city-killing” asteroid to assess the need for protective measures against a possible impact.

Named 2024 YR4, this massive asteroid, comparable in size to a building, now carries an increased probability of a collision with Earth—estimated at 1 in 43 for the year 2032, a significant rise from roughly 1%, as reported by the Independent.

Nasa first identified the asteroid, which is speeding through our galaxy, in December 2024. It has now ascended to the forefront of NASA’s list of space-related threats.

Faced with this urgent threat, NASA has enlisted the James Webb Space Telescope to investigate 2024 YR4 and evaluate the potential damage it could inflict if it were to collide with Earth, according to a blog post by the European Space Agency.

“Enhancing our size estimation for 2024 YR4 is crucial: the risk posed by a 40-meter asteroid differs greatly from that of a 90-meter one,” the ESA noted.

Current evaluations suggest that this cosmic entity spans approximately 180 feet—similar to the height of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, reported Live Science.

If these estimates hold true, a collision with YR4 could inflict devastation on par with the Tunguska event of 1908, which obliterated roughly 80 million trees in Siberia, as detailed by Space.com.

However, relying solely on data collected through terrestrial telescopes limits our understanding since they only observe sunlight bouncing off the asteroid’s surface.

In truth, the asteroid might be much larger than initial assessments suggest.

The James Webb Space Telescope will provide astronomers with a more precise measurement of the asteroid’s size using its infrared capabilities to analyze heat emissions rather than just light reflection.

“Typically, a brighter asteroid indicates a larger size, but this correlation is heavily contingent on the reflectivity of the asteroid’s surface,” explained ESA officials. “2024 YR4 might measure 40 meters (130 feet) and be very reflective, or it could reach 90 meters (295 feet) and have lower reflectivity.”

Additionally, because the telescope orbits the sun, it can bypass the distortions of the Earth’s atmosphere, granting a clearer perspective than ground-based observatories.

The initial series of observations using the James Webb Telescope will occur in March when the asteroid shines at its brightest, followed by additional observations in May as YR4 moves away from the sun. This will be the last opportunity for observations before the asteroid returns in 2028.

This data will be pivotal for agencies like ESA and NASA, enabling them to confidently evaluate the hazard and formulate any necessary action plans, as emphasized by the ESA.

These findings are particularly important since experts predict that if YR4 were to collide with Earth, it could unleash energy equivalent to 15 megatons of TNT—over 100 times more powerful than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945, according to the Daily Mail.