That city-killing space rock now has even better odds of ruining everyone's day by instantly vaporizing them. We're talking spin-the-roulette-wheel-to-find-out-if-we're-gonna-die odds.
Remember that pesky asteroid 2024 YR4 we've been tracking? According to the latest NASA calculations (and for those keeping score at home, the "Are We Doomed Yet?" impact tracker puts it at a spicy 1-in-38 chance, or 2.633%), this murder marble is getting increasingly thirsty for some Earth action! And by action, we mean potentially wiping out several major cities with the force of 500 Hiroshima bombs.
Scientists have helpfully mapped out exactly where this Big Ben-sized delete button might decide to crash our planetary party on December 22, 2032, reports the killjoys at The Independent. The potential impact corridor starts in the Pacific, then takes a leisurely stroll over South America, Africa, the Middle East, and into Asia. You know, just casually threatening more than 110 million people in eight of the world's most populous cities, including Mumbai, Lagos, and Dhaka. If it really wanted to maximize its existential threat potential, it should take notes from Trump's pivot from Europe to Russia.
If you asked the average schlub about the likelihood of impact, they'd shrug and say, "Maybe, maybe not. It depends." If you want a real answer then you need to ask a NASA scientists, like the one who told The Independent, "It is possible that asteroid 2024 YR4 will be ruled out as an impact hazard, as has happened with many other objects. It is also possible its impact probability will continue to rise." (Which, coincidentally, sounds like my partner's answer when I ask about my chances of getting lucky tonight — technically possible, but don't get your hopes up, and the odds of disappointment are increasing by the minute.)
But hey, look on the bright side — this is the best excuse ever to skip holiday shopping in 2032. "Sorry, can't buy presents this year, might be vaporized!"
Previously:
• Scott Manley has a plan to save the Earth from Asteroid 2024 YR4
• Christmas 2032 asteroid upgraded to 1-in-48 chance of Earth impact
• Scientists track massive asteroid with rare 1.3% chance of hitting Earth in 2032
