NASA's James Webb Telescope Warns 4% Chance of 'City Destroying' Asteroid Hitting Moon скачать в хорошем качестве

NASA's James Webb Telescope Warns 4% Chance of 'City Destroying' Asteroid Hitting Moon

NASA's James Webb Telescope Warns 4% Chance of 'City Destroying' Asteroid Hitting Moon A massive asteroid capable of unleashing devastation 500 times greater than the Hiroshima atomic bomb is still on a potential collision course—not with Earth, but with the Moon. New observations from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) confirm that the asteroid Two thousand 24 YR4 is larger than previously thought and has a 4% chance of striking the Moon in Two thousand 32. Discovered in December Two thousand 23, Two thousand 24 YR4 initially sent shockwaves through the global astronomical community when early calculations suggested a Three Point 1 Percent chance of hitting Earth—the highest ever recorded for an asteroid of its size. However, further analysis ruled out an Earth impact, easing fears of a catastrophic event. But the danger hasn’t completely passed. The latest JWST infrared measurements reveal the asteroid is actually 60 meters (200 feet) wide—equivalent to a 15-story building—much larger than the initial ground-based estimate of 40 meters. If an object this size struck Earth, it could flatten an entire city. Now, scientists warn that the Moon remains a target, with a 4% probability of impact on December 22, Two thousand 32. Due to the high initial risk, NASA made an “emergency” decision to allocate JWST observation time to study the asteroid. Traditional telescopes could only estimate its size based on reflected light, leaving uncertainties about its true dimensions and composition.