Even in the increasingly unlikely event of an impact from YR4, Oregon and the Pacific Northwest appear to be safe from impact. Computer models showed areas of South America, Africa and southeast Asia would have the highest risk in the event of an impact, based on what astronomers know about the asteroid’s orbit.

A NASA asteroid tracker explains how scientists are calculating the risk to Earth from asteroid 2024 YR4. Archaeologists are piecing together the world’s oldest known rune stone. It could shed light on the origins of early written Germanic languages and who inscribed it.

The risk that an increasingly ominous asteroid dubbed 2024 YR4 will crash into Earth in seven years now exceeds the the threat once posed by Apophis.

New observations have dramatically reduced the chances of asteroid 2024 YR4 hitting Earth in 2032, lowering the risk to minimal levels, but its extraordinarily close approach will offer astronomers th

The risk of Asteroid 2024 YR4 hitting Earth and Moon in December 2032 is relatively low, said scientists on Monday.

An asteroid between about 130 and 300 ft. (40 and 90 meters) in diameter has been given a 2.3% chance of it hitting Earth on Dec. 22, 2032.

Objects that could strike the planet will be spotted more regularly as new asteroid-hunting telescopes come online.

YR4 holds 0.28% chance of impacting Earth in 2032, which highlights the importance of monitoring celestial objects. NASA reports Earth encounters bombardment of over 100 tons of dust and sand-sized particles daily.

The outlook for a newly discovered asteroid’s potential impact with Earth is shifting, and scientists say there’s a reason for the uncertainty.The asteroid, called 2024 YR4, which is estimated to be between 130 and 300 feet wide,