'It's moving rapidly': How likely is it that new asteroid will hit earth? | LBC

NASA has made an "emergency" decision after predicting that an asteroid the size of Big Ben has a one-in-43 chance of hitting Earth. Astronomers at NASA have identified the asteroid, named 2024 YR4, which currently carries a 2.3% probability of colliding with Earth in 2032. An international team of scientists is using the James Webb Space Telescope to assess the potential damage the asteroid could cause. Estimated to be 90 meters (300 feet) wide—roughly the size of Big Ben—the asteroid has sparked concern among experts. In response, Tom Swarbrick and Andrew Marr spoke to leading scientists to shed light on the situation. Dr. Luca Conversi, manager of the European Space Agency's Near-Earth Object Coordination Centre, explained how the asteroid could be on a collision course with Earth in just seven years. Meanwhile, Dr. Jeni Millard, an extragalactic astronomer, told Andrew that the asteroid is "moving rapidly" but reassured listeners that, while the "chances of it hitting the planet have gone up," there is no immediate need for alarm. Listen to the full show on Global Player: https://app.af.globalplayer.com/Br0x/LBCYouTubeListenLive #tomswarbrick #andrewmarr #asteroid #LBC #space #news LBC is the home of live debate around news and current affairs in the UK. Join in the conversation and listen at https://www.lbc.co.uk/ Sign up to LBC’s weekly newsletter here: https://l-bc.co/signup