New NASA Asteroid Observations Eliminate Chance of 2032 Lunar Impact

Observations from the James Webb Space Telescope on Feb. 18 and 26 have refined the orbit of near-Earth asteroid 2024 YR4 and rule out a lunar impact on Dec. 22, 2032. With the new data, 2024 YR4 is expected to pass the lunar surface at about 13,200 miles (21,200 km).

The update reflects improved precision in predicting the asteroid's future position rather than a change in its orbital path. Experts at the Center for Near-Earth Object Studies at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory used the Webb measurements to refine the trajectory.

Before these observations were added, analyses had suggested a 4.3% chance of lunar impact on that date. The observation team, led by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, used Webb’s unique capabilities to make two of the faintest asteroid observations ever during a period when the object was otherwise unobservable.

United States, Laurel, Maryland

james webb, 2024 yr4, near-earth asteroid, lunar impact, december 22, 2032, jpl, cneos, trajectory, orbit refinement