Can the world relax about killer asteroids now?
For a brief window, Asteroid 2024 YR4 looked like a planetary hazard in the making. At up to 90 meters (295 feet) in diameter, it was described as a potential "city killer." On its estimated trajectory, it could've collided with Earth as soon as 2032. According to the Torino Impact Hazard Scale, used to characterize such threats, it ranked a Level 3 out of 10—a highly unusual designation, suggesting a "close encounter" was plausible.
For a brief window, Asteroid 2024 YR4 looked like a planetary hazard in the making. At up to 90 meters (295 feet) in diameter, it was described as a potential "city killer." On its estimated trajectory, it could've collided with Earth as soon as 2032. According to the Torino Impact Hazard Scale, used to characterize such threats, it ranked a Level 3 out of 10—a highly unusual designation, suggesting a "close encounter" was plausible.
