Imagine an asteroid flying silently through space, and our most powerful telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), capturing its final glimpses before it slips out of view. This is exactly what happened with asteroid 2024 YR4, a space rock currently too distant to be seen with any telescope from Earth.
Before it escaped from view, NASA’s Webb Telescope collected crucial data using its Near-Infrared Camera in May 2025. This allowed scientists at the Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to improve their calculations of the asteroid’s orbit by nearly 20%.
The refined data has slightly raised the asteroid’s probability of hitting the Moon from 3.8% to 4.3% on December 22, 2032. However, experts confirmed that even if it were to impact, it would not affect the Moon’s orbit in any way.
When asteroid 2024 YR4 was first discovered, there was a minor concern it could hit Earth. After months of detailed tracking, NASA now confirms there is no significant risk to our planet in 2032 or beyond. Such changes in impact probabilities are common as astronomers gather more observations to better predict an asteroid’s path.
Currently, the asteroid is so far away that it cannot be seen. But scientists plan to study it in 2028, when it will come close to Earth again. This will give an even better idea of its future path.
Scipuz’s Take
Asteroid 2024 YR4 shows us that our solar system is constantly changing. With the help of the James Webb Space Telescope, scientists are not only knowing the mysteries of the universe, but are also protecting the Earth and the Moon by keeping an eye on such space rocks. There is no need to panic at the moment, but scientists are constantly monitoring.
