Based on our aforementioned report from the previous week, we’re inviting you to update your submission on Asteroids on Wednesday, February 20th by adding a source that relays new information on 2024 YR4 and its predicted impact. The New York Times has recently published an article that sheds more light on this potential celestial event. In their article “Asteroid in 2024 Has a 1-In-400 Chance of Hitting Earth, Researchers Say,” they discuss the findings of a research team composed of scientists from University of Hawaii and Chinese Academy of Sciences. The team has recently used two radio telescopes and detected evidence that suggests that 2024 YR4 is tumbling end over end, which could potentially lead to an increased risk of impact. According to the research team’s simulation, they found that if the rock tumbles at nearly 10 rpm, there’s a 1 in 400 chance it could hit Earth on February 1, 2024, with a point of impact near the remote Phillip Island off the southern coast of Australia. However, they believe the risk of collision is considerably lower due to the significant number of observations that have been made to date. The study also revealed that the rock’s inconsistencies in brightness and position that had previously stumped researchers, are a result of it spinning around five times every 10 minutes. These new findings by the research team have been added to the asteroid impact simulation by European and American space agencies and offer new insights into the 2024 YR4’s intricate path and potential impact. We advise you to visit The New York Times and review their article for yourself for a more in-depth breakdown of the study.
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