National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has identified a near-Earth asteroid 2024 YR4 that has a little more than a 1% chance of hitting Earth in 2032.
Asteroid 2024 YR4
- The near-Earth asteroid 2024 YR4 was discovered in December 2024 by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope in Rio Hurtado, Chile.
- Size and impact potential: It is about the size of a football field, measuring 40 to 100 meters.
- An asteroid of this size hits Earth every few thousand years on average and can cause severe damage to the local area.
- Risk assessment: Asteroid 2024 YR4 is now marked at Level 3 on the Torino Impact Hazard Scale, which is the possibility of a close collision.
Asteroid
- Asteroids are ancient space rocks left over from the formation of the solar system.
- Most asteroids are found between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, although some also come close to Earth.
Comet
- Comets are small icy structure-like particles that orbit the Sun. It is noteworthy that comets are made of icy structure and dust, while asteroids are made of rocks.
Meteor
- A meteor is a space rock or meteor body that enters the Earth’s atmosphere, and as soon as it enters the Earth’s atmosphere, it starts burning due to friction, so it is often also called a ‘shooting star’. • When many meteors come in front of the Earth, we call it a meteor shower.
Meteorite
- If a meteor body passes through the Earth’s atmosphere and falls on the Earth’s surface, it is called a meteorite.
Difference between Asteroid and Comet
- The main difference between asteroids and comets is their composition, that is, what material they are made of.
- Asteroids are made of metals and rocky materials, whereas comets are made of icy composition, dust and rocky materials.
- Both asteroids and comets were formed in the history of the solar system about 4.5 billion years ago.
Difference Between Asteroids and Comets
- The main difference between asteroids and comets is their composition, i.e. what material they are made of.
- Asteroids are made of metals and rocky material, whereas comets are made of icy composition, dust and rocky material.
- Both asteroids and comets formed early in the history of the Solar System, about 4.5 billion years ago.
Why are asteroids important
- Evidence of the formation of the Solar System: They are considered time capsules that preserve material from the early Solar System.
- Potential resources: Some asteroids are thought to contain valuable resources such as metals and water that could be mined in the future.
- Threat to Earth: Some asteroids have orbits that bring them close to Earth and while impacts are rare, they can cause significant damage if they hit Earth.
How often do asteroids hit Earth
- Thousands of asteroids enter Earth’s atmosphere each day, but most of them are small and burn up due to atmospheric friction.
- Giant asteroids (more than 1 km in diameter) are rare, but they can cause global disasters.
- Example: The Chicxulub asteroid (66 million years ago) killed off the dinosaurs and 75% of life on Earth.
- Even some small asteroids (about 40 meters wide) can cause significant destruction.
- Example: The Chelyabinsk asteroid (2013), hit Earth in Russian territory, injuring 1,500 people and damaging thousands of buildings.
- The impact of a 40-meter asteroid can destroy a huge area, depending on the speed and angle of entry.
How do space agencies plan to prevent asteroid accidents?
- Space agencies like NASA are actively developing planetary defense mechanisms to prevent asteroids from hitting Earth and causing potential disasters.
Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART)
- One of the most important planetary defense missions was DART, a joint project of NASA and Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory.
- This was the first planetary defense test conducted by NASA.
- In the year 2022, the DART spacecraft intentionally collided with an asteroid named Dimorphos.
- This impact successfully changed its shape and trajectory, proving that space agencies can redirect the path of an asteroid.
Other proposed solutions
- Vaporizing part of the asteroid by laser-based deflection.
- Gravity tractor, a spacecraft that uses gravity to slowly move the asteroid out of its path.
Torino Impact Hazard Scale
- The Torino Scale, adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 1999, is a tool for classifying potential Earth-to-Earth collision events.
- An integer scale from 0 to 10, with corresponding colour coding, primarily intended to facilitate public communication by monitoring asteroid impact hazard.
- The scale represents the probability and consequences of a potential event, but does not consider the time remaining until potential impact.
- More extreme events are indicated by higher Torino Scale values.
Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS)
- ATLAS is an asteroid impact early warning system developed by the University of Hawaii and funded by NASA.
- It consists of four telescopes (Hawaii ×2, Chile, South Africa) that automatically scan the entire sky several times each night and look for moving objects.
- ATLAS can provide warning times based on the size of the asteroid, with larger asteroids farther from Earth being detected.
International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN)
- IAWN, chaired by NASA, is responsible for coordinating the international group of organizations involved in asteroid tracking and characterization.
- If appropriate, IAWN will develop a strategy to assist world governments in analyzing asteroid impact consequences and planning any necessary mitigation responses.