1-In-25 Chance Of Hitting The Moon – "If It Hits, It Will Be Pretty Spectacular!
For weeks, near-Earth asteroid 2024 YR4 has dominated the news. From the moment of its discovery in late December until the end of February, it became the space rock with the highest risk of impact on our planet. Preparation to protect ourselves kicked in, and a global effort of observations delivered the happy news that it won’t hit Earth on December 22, 2032. But the latest observations suggest that it might hit the Moon...
Dreaming of a new Moon crater
The information about this dangerous asteroid is useful whether this rock becomes a threat to Earth or not. Characterizing near-Earth objects is crucial to our understanding of asteroids in general. And if it’s going to hit the Moon, it's best to know as much as we can in advance. Sure, the chance is remote, but let us dream.
“It would be visible from Earth and there would even be new lunar meteorites that would arrive on Earth (nothing dangerous), but there is no guarantee,” Richard Moissl, the head of ESA’s Planetary Defence Office, told IFLScience back in February. “Definitely, a new observable moon crater would be the outcome!”
Based on the latest size estimates, the new crater would be 1 kilometer (0.6 miles). It would produce a flash lasting a couple of seconds, with the ideal locations to see it being the Americas, the Pacific, and Asia. But the real show would come from placing stuff in and around the Moon, if it truly were to happen.
iflscience.com |
