Remember that asteroid we told you about that had a 1-in-77 chance of ruining everyone's 2032 Christmas plans? Scientists now say there's a 1-in-48 chance this cosmic bullet will hit Earth.
Known as 2024 YR4, this potential planet puncher could be anywhere from 130 to 330 feet wide. Check out this asteroid impact simulator at Neal.fun to see what could happen when asteroids of various sizes hit earth. A 300-foot space rock hitting Midtown would create a hole deeper than the Empire State Building is tall. About 33,000 people would be instantly vaporized. Another half million would die from the shock wave. The winds? 5,401 mph, or fast enough to kill another 1.7 million people and level buildings across three states. Trees would be flattened across 13 miles.
The good news? Scientists are throwing everything they've got at tracking this thing. The bad news? They won't know for sure where it might hit until they get more data. Right now, the potential impact zone stretches from India across Africa to South America, with a bonus splash zone in the Atlantic. So basically, if you're planning a vacation in 2032, maybe keep it flexible.
Johns Hopkins scientist Andy Rivkin told Supercluster: "You should tell the people you care about that you love them, but not because of 2024 YR4." Which is both reassuring and mildly terrifying at the same time.
