Asteroid the Size of a Football Field Threatens Earth, Scientists on Alert

- European Space Agency closely monitoring asteroid with 99% chance of passing by Earth, potential impact not ruled out.

ESA Monitors Asteroid Threat

The European Space Agency (ESA) is closely monitoring an asteroid the size of a football field. According to ESA's calculations, there is a 99% chance that the asteroid will pass by Earth, but the possibility of impact cannot be completely ruled out. The rock, named 2024 YR4, measures 100 by 40 meters and could potentially cause 'severe damage' if it were to hit Earth in just over seven years.

The asteroid is currently about 45 million kilometers away from Earth and moving away from it. However, its path is projected to intersect with Earth's orbit on December 22, 2032, raising concerns of a near-collision scenario where the asteroid could pass by at a distance of a few thousand kilometers.

The Space Mission Planning Advisory Group, chaired by ESA, will discuss the latest observations of the asteroid in Vienna next week. If the risk of impact is confirmed, the agency will make official recommendations to the United Nations and explore options for a 'spacecraft-based response to the potential threat.'

Dr. Simeon Barber, space scientist at the Open University, reassured that the current early detection systems often overestimate the chances of an impact on Earth. Barber emphasized the importance of finding a balance between taking the threat seriously and avoiding overreaction in the early stages of detection when the trajectory is not accurately determined.