Asteroid YR4

Asteroid YR4 is a Near-Earth Asteroid (NEA) discovered in Dec 2024 with the ATLAS telescope in Chile, noted for its close approach and tracking interest.

Asteroid YR4

Asteroid YR4 Latest News

On April 2, 2025, NASA announced that asteroid 2024 YR4 has a 3.8% probability of colliding with the Moon on December 22, 2032.

What is Asteroid YR4?

  • YR4 is a Near-Earth Asteroid (NEA) discovered in December 2024 using the ATLAS telescope in Chile.
  • Its orbit brings it within 1.3 times the Earth-Sun distance, making it a Near-Earth Object (NEO).
  • Initially, YR4 triggered the highest-ever NASA asteroid impact alert in February 2025.
  • New infrared data from the James Webb Space Telescope estimates its size at ~65 metres, comparable to a 10-storey building, which is below the 140-meter threshold for classification as a “Potentially Hazardous Asteroid”.
  • Earlier, YR4 had a 3.1% chance of hitting Earth, but the latest trajectory analysis shows a negligible risk to Earth.

What are Asteroids?

  • Asteroids, also known as minor planets, are rocky remnants from the early solar system, dating back 4.6 billion years.
  • They exhibit irregular shapes, though a few are nearly spherical, and some host small companion moons or even exist as binary or triple systems.

Classification of Asteroids

  • Main Asteroid Belt: Located between Mars and Jupiter, this is where the majority of known asteroids are found.
  • Trojans: These share an orbit with a planet and remain stable due to the Lagrange Points (L4 and L5), where gravitational forces from the Sun and the planet balance.
  • Near-Earth Asteroids (NEAs): These are asteroids whose orbits pass close to Earth’s orbit. Those that cross Earth’s orbital path are known as Earth-crossers.

Asteroid YR4 FAQs

Q1: What is Asteroid YR4 and when was it discovered?
Ans: YR4 is a Near-Earth Asteroid (NEA) discovered in December 2024 using the ATLAS telescope in Chile.

Q2: Why is Asteroid YR4 significant?
Ans: It is classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA) due to its close approach trajectory, raising interest in planetary defence mechanisms.

Q3: What are Near-Earth Objects (NEOs)?
Ans: NEOs are asteroids or comets whose orbits bring them close to Earth’s orbit and are monitored for impact risks.

Source: TH

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