CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Researchers have cleared Earth of any potential danger from a recently identified asteroid.

Following two months of meticulous observation, experts from NASA and the European Space Agency confirmed on Tuesday that the newly identified 2024 YR4 asteroid poses no significant threat.

Initially, there was a 3% chance the asteroid could collide with Earth in 2032, ranking it high on asteroid risk assessments worldwide.

However, the ESA has since reduced that probability to just 0.001%, while NASA estimates it at 0.0027%. This indicates that the asteroid will safely pass by our planet in 2032, with no risk of impact for the next hundred years.

Nevertheless, NASA notes there remains a 1.7% chance that the asteroid might strike the moon on December 22, 2032. Global telescopes will keep monitoring its trajectory as the asteroid moves away, with the Webb Space Telescope set to provide detailed observations next month to determine its size. It is expected to become invisible within the next month or two.

First detected in December, the asteroid spans an estimated 130 to 300 feet (40 to 90 meters) in diameter and orbits close to Earth every four years.

“While 2024 YR4 no longer poses a notable threat to our planet, it presented a significant chance for scientific investigation,” NASA stated.

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