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2025-02-19 -Signs, Portents, and the Weather-

Odds of the ''city-killing'' YR4 asteroid hitting Earth are up

[NYPOST] NASA just increased the odds that ''city-killer'' asteroid YR4 2024 will strike our planet in 2032.

The space agency claimed that the dangerous space rock now has a 1-in-38, or 2.6%, chance of hitting home — the highest probability of a collision yet, New Scientist has reported.

When the asteroid was initially discovered in December 2024, the odds of a strike clocked in at 1-in-83, before increasing to 1-in-67, to 1-in-53, to 1-in-43 and now, the current frightening figure. Meanwhile, the European Space Agency's odds are slightly lower at around 2.4%.

Since late January, NASA has designated YR4 a level three on the Torino Scale — a standard rubric for the danger of NEOs (Near Earth Objects) that measure over 65 feet in diameter and have a 1% or greater chance of deep impact.

According to the scale, this asteroid is a ''close encounter, meriting attention by astronomers'' and boasts a ''1% or greater chance of collision capable of localized destruction.''

If Earth were to get rocked by YR4 — which measures between 131 and 295 feet in diameter — the resultant energy blast would be equivalent to 8 megatons of TNT, roughly 500 times the power of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, the Independent reported.

Posted by Fred 2025-02-19 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11150 views ] Top

#1 Saint Elon, preserve us.

Posted by Glolutch Tingle1702 2025-02-19 00:16|| 2025-02-19 00:16|| Front Page Top

#2 So, the odds are similar to a WNBA 3-point attempt?

Posted by Crusader 2025-02-19 00:25|| 2025-02-19 00:25|| Front Page Top

#3 WNBA
Before they were dudes.

Posted by Skidmark 2025-02-19 04:22|| 2025-02-19 04:22|| Front Page Top

#4 The art of landing on an asteroid

Seems to me NASA ought to know the orbit by now.

Posted by Skidmark 2025-02-19 04:34|| 2025-02-19 04:34|| Front Page Top

#5 At least the ~~nuclear~~ asteroid winter will take care of global warming.

Posted by Elmerert Hupens2660 2025-02-19 05:40|| 2025-02-19 05:40|| Front Page Top

#6 Odds of the ''city-killing'' YR4 asteroid hitting Earth are up

At this point, I believe the majority of Americans can settle on what city.

Posted by Procopius2k 2025-02-19 08:00|| 2025-02-19 08:00|| Front Page Top

#7 ..on that point.

Posted by Procopius2k 2025-02-19 08:37|| 2025-02-19 08:37|| Front Page Top

#8 Who had 'Sweet Meteor of Death' on their 2032 bingo card?

Posted by ed in texas 2025-02-19 12:20|| 2025-02-19 12:20|| Front Page Top

#9 Was the most powerful offensive spell in Final Fantasy VII.

Posted by mossomo 2025-02-19 14:15|| 2025-02-19 14:15|| Front Page Top

#10

Many have seen the NUKE Simulator site, where pick your weapon yield and a target city. Then watch the results.

Someone needs to make such a site for the YR4.

Any bets on what the most popular target city / area would be?☺

Posted by NN2N1 2025-02-19 14:31|| 2025-02-19 14:31|| Front Page Top

#11 Sounds to me like the story interest ratings are up.

Posted by swksvolFF 2025-02-19 14:56|| 2025-02-19 14:56|| Front Page Top

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