Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Add Upworthy to your Google News feed.
Google News Button

The risk of an asteroid striking Earth is something scientists closely monitor, but new data has sparked serious concern. NASA recently announced that the impact probability of asteroid 2024-YR4 has doubled, prompting astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson to weigh in with a stark warning.

Taking to X (@neiltyson), Tyson urged people to pay attention, emphasizing the need for continued investment in scientific research and planetary defense.


asteroids, asteroids hitting earth, neil degrasse tyson, space, nasaAn asteroid hurtling through space Representative Image Source: Pixabay | Buddy Nath

Asteroid 2024-YR4: What we know so far

The asteroid, estimated to be between 130 and 300 feet wide, has a 1 in 50 chance of colliding with Earth on December 22, 2032.

"At the moment, mansion-sized Asteroid 2024-YR4 has a one in fifty chance of hitting Earth in the next eight years," Tyson wrote. "Now might be a bad time to reduce spending on Science. Just saying."

NASA’s @AsteroidWatch team also confirmed the increased probability, posting on X:

"While still an extremely low possibility, asteroid 2024-YR4's impact probability with Earth has increased from about 1% to a 2.3% chance on December 22, 2032. As we observe the asteroid more, the impact probability will become better known."

Why experts are taking this seriously

Although the risk remains low, scientists warn that further observations could either reduce or increase the probability. The International Asteroid Warning Network will monitor the asteroid using ground-based telescopes until April, after which it will become too faint to observe until 2028, according to their website.


According to The Sun, if asteroid 2024-YR4 were to enter Earth’s atmosphere at 38,000 mph, the impact could unleash the power of 100 nuclear bombs.

The James Webb Space Telescope will help determine the asteroid’s exact size in March, marking the first time the telescope has studied a near-Earth object.

What if it keeps getting closer?

Some experts believe that, if necessary, the only way to stop the asteroid may involve nuclear intervention.

"We cannot ignore this rock. It has the potential, the possibility, for being an emergency for planet Earth," said astronomer Dr. David Whitehouse.

He continued:

"We might even have to consider the severe measures of sending up a nuclear weapon to the surface of this asteroid in order to deflect it further."

media.giphy.com

Is Earth ready for an asteroid deflection mission?

Although NASA has successfully tested asteroid deflection technology—such as the DART mission, which altered the orbit of an asteroid in 2022—scientists worry that current systems may not be developed enough to handle a real emergency.

"They can do this. But you want as many years as possible. It’s a bit tight," said Dr. Robin George Andrews, author of How To Kill An Asteroid.

Professor Brian Cox (@ProfBrianCox), a physicist at the University of Manchester, also chimed in on X, writing:

"Interesting situation—if the probability remains this high, then we will have to make a decision on preparing a deflection mission, which would be a good investment even if (as is most likely) we don’t need to use it this time."

He added:

"It’s as if the Universe has decided to do an experiment to see if Planet Earth is still capable of taking rational decisions!"


What happens next?

For now, scientists will continue tracking asteroid 2024-YR4, refining its trajectory and assessing whether the impact probability will rise or fall. If the risk increases, discussions about a deflection mission may soon follow.

With eight years until its projected flyby, there’s still time to determine whether action is needed. But for now, all eyes are on NASA and the next set of observations—which could decide the course of history.

Giphy

More For You

He was trapped in a 20-foot pit. Then he pulled off the ultimate escape.

A gravity-defying stunt

He was trapped in a 20-foot pit. Then he pulled off the ultimate escape.

A viral video from China has people questioning the laws of gravity—and then realizing it's all physics, skill, and a healthy dose of discipline. Posted on Xiaohongshu (also known as Rednote), the video shows a man inside a vividly colored pit, its vertical walls towering about 20 feet above him. There's seemingly no way out—until he starts running.

Don't try this at home. roar-assets-auto.rbl.ms

Keep ReadingShow less
Scientists extracted a Pink Floyd song from brainwaves and it’s haunting
Representative photo by Canva

Scientists extracted a Pink Floyd song from brainwaves and it’s haunting

The concept of reading thoughts once belonged to the realm of science fiction, but breakthroughs in neural decoding are turning it into reality. This technology, which interprets brain activity into meaningful signals, has already allowed scientists to reconstruct words and images from brainwaves. Now, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley have taken it a step further. In August 2023, they managed to recreate a Pink Floyd song purely from brain activity, a discovery published in PLOS Biology that offers new insight into how the brain processes music.

A team led by Robert Knight and Ludovic Bellier conducted the study on 29 epilepsy patients at Albany Medical Center in New York who were undergoing brain surgery. While the patients were in the operating room, they listened to "Another Brick in the Wall, Part 1" by Pink Floyd. Electrodes placed directly on their brains recorded the electrical signals produced as they processed the song. Using artificial intelligence, Bellier later reconstructed the track based entirely on these neural recordings. The final result was hauntingly distorted yet unmistakably recognizable. "It sounds a bit like they’re speaking underwater, but it’s our first shot at this," Knight told The Guardian.

Keep ReadingShow less
Why you look great in the mirror but awful in photos, according to science
Source: istock

Why you look great in the mirror but awful in photos, according to science

The morning after a wild night of partying, the biggest fear often isn't regretting what you said, but how you'll look in your friends' tagged photos. Even if you left the house feeling like a 10, those awkward group selfies can make you feel like a 5, making you wonder, "Why do I look different in pictures?"

This strange phenomenon, amplified by selfies, is making people question their own mirrors. Are pictures the "real" you or is it your reflection? Have mirrors been lying to us this whole time??

Keep ReadingShow less
A rendering of a black hole and its event horizon.

Representative Image: Black holes are the largest things in the universe, and the biggest mysteries.

They faked a black hole in a lab—and what it “leaked” has scientists freaking out

Black holes are the universe’s ultimate mystery box—nothing gets out, and no one really knows what’s inside. But now, a group of scientists may have just pulled off something incredible: they built a black hole replica right here on Earth.

And not just for fun. This experiment could help explain one of the biggest cosmic puzzles of our time—Hawking radiation, the theory that black holes slowly lose energy by giving off faint particles at their edges.

Keep ReadingShow less
5 body language habits that make you instantly more charming

Make a killer first impression by shifting your body language.

5 body language habits that make you instantly more charming

The sayings, “Actions speak louder than words,” and “It’s not what you say, but how you say it,” are popular adages for good reason. Our silent body language speaks volumes, but we may not always be aware of what we’re saying with it. The way we hold ourselves, our gestures, and even how we make eye contact can make a huge difference in how people perceive us.

And that perception makes a difference. People form a first impression within seconds, and some research shows that traits like trustworthiness start to be judged within a tenth of a second of meeting someone.

Keep ReadingShow less